Sean O’Malley made huge mistake accepting Merab Dvalishvili rematch, says former UFC star

Sean O’Malley has been granted a UFC title rematch, but did he make a mistake?

In the main event of UFC 306 inside the Sphere in Las Vegas, O’Malley attempted to successfully defend the UFC Bantamweight Championship against Merab Dvalishvili. The “Suga” show struggled with the wrestling and pressure of Dvalishvili. While O’Malley found some success late in the fight, it wasn’t enough to retain the 135-pound gold.

As O’Malley prepares for the rematch, one ex-UFC fighter believes the former champion is putting his relevancy at risk.

RELATED: FORMER UFC CHAMPION QUESTIONS SEAN O’MALLEY’S PERSONAL CHANGES AHEAD OF UFC 316

Sean O’Malley Makes ‘Bad Move?’

During a recent episode of “Funky and the Champ,” former UFC welterweight Ben Askren shared his belief that Sean O’Malley could see his stock drop significantly if he loses to Merab Dvalishvili again (via MMAJunkie).

“I kind of think this is a bad move,” Askren said on his “Funky and the Champ” show with Daniel Cormier. “If he gets beat up by Merab again, then he loses a whole bunch of attraction because it’s like, well, you already lost to the champ twice, so until the champ goes away, they’re not going to give you a third shot against him. He could have fought some, maybe, lower-ranked guys. “Against guys who can’t take him down, he kind of looks like a real freaking superstar, right? He’s really exciting, very diverse striking attack, so he could have looked really good, built the fight back up into something bigger. But now, I feel like everyone is feeling, ‘Hey, we just saw this, it wasn’t competitive. Why do we need to see this again?”

O’Malley hasn’t been seen in action since losing the bantamweight title to Dvalishvili. He had to undergo surgery for a torn labrum in his left hip. The “Suga” show insists that he’s changed up his lifestyle to focus more on fighting. O’Malley has given up social media, marijuana, and other habits. Time will tell if any of those changes lead to improvements inside the Octagon.

Dvalishvili vs. O’Malley 2 will headline UFC 316 on June 7. The title rematch will be held inside Prudential Center in Newark.