The UFC 316 bantamweight title rematch between Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley will take place on June 7, 2025, at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.. The co-main event features Julianna Peña defending her women’s bantamweight title against former Olympic judo gold medalist Kayla Harrison.
Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili are looking sharp for their rematch at UFC 316. The first match between them took place at UFC 306, where Merab Dvalishvili became bantamweight champion after defeating Champion Sean O’Malley. Both fighters have a strong bond with each other, so according to MMA fans, there must be a rematch between them to prove themselves. UFC heard their voice and set up a rematch between them on 7 June 2025.
Merab Dvalishvili Preparation For UFC 316
Since the news appear for the rematch appeared, Merab is looking seriously focused on his training. The UFC 316 can be more serious for Merab because he not only faces angry Sean O’Malley but also needs to defend his belt to remain a champion of the Bantamweight Class. According to reports and his Instagram handle, he looks more focused because he uploads more posts related to UFC 316, doing training with lethal fighters like Dennis Buzukja and Aljamain Sterling. Both fighters are currently great MMA fighters with great records, and they are sparring partners of Merab. They bring their experience and energy not just to help but to make Merab stronger and make him able to learn new strategies to defend his belt against former Champion Sean O’Malley. It shows that there is more pressure for Merab Dvalishvili to defend his belt than for Sean O’Malley.
Training Partner of Merab Dvalishvili for UFC 316
Aljamain Sterling
Aljamain Antoine Sterling (born July 31, 1989) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC Bantamweight Champion. Nowadays, he is helping Merab Dvalishvili with his Title defence against Former Champion Sean ”Sugar” O’Malley.
Career Record of Aljamain Sterling
| Total | 29 |
| Wins | 25 |
| Losses | 4 |
Sean O’Malley Preparation For UFC 316
The former bantamweight champion and the contender for the Belt, Sean O’Malley, is looking sharp and fully engaged for his upcoming rematch with Merab Dvalishvili. Every UFC fan knows that this could be the moment to regain his Title from Merab Dvalishvili. Usually, they post their funny videos and activities together on different social media platforms, and they are both good friend and have a great bond with each other outside the Octagon, but this time, they both are showing a hunger to achieve the belt and become the champion of the Bantamweight Division. Sean O’Malley is one of the best fighters in this division, but during the past few months, he has been a point of discussion among UFC fans for his other activities beside MMA and physical training i.e. he show off his different Supercars like Ferrari McLaren and his house rather than his physical training and MMA activities. According to fans, it is good to show the materialistic things, but every fighter must prioritize his training and physical strength, which will help him to become the best in his division.
Nowadays, Sean O’Malley is looking serious for his title fight with Merab dvalishivli and doing different training to improve himself. He is known for his striking and he is one of the best in striking in his division be he is also focusing on the improvement of other strength. In his recent Instagram video he can be seen doing training for the improvement of his core strength and doing different exercises for it.
Training Partner of Sean O’Malley For UFC 316
Israel Adesanya
Sean O’Malley is known for his striking skills in his division, and to improve this skill further, he can also be seen doing training with Middleweight Former Champion Israel Adesanya. Israel Adesanya is one of the dominant strikers in the middleweight division and has good core strength. Besides his amazing fight skills, he is also known best and praised by the fans for his iconic Celebrations. Israel Adesanya is helping Sean O’Malley with different skills upgradation and sharing his experience of MMA that will help him not only in his upcoming fight with Merab but also to be a better fighter in his division.
Comparison Between Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley
Sean O’Malley
Sean O’Malley is known for his dynamic striking. He utilizes his reach advantage, fast footwork, and creative combination to dominate his opponents. He captured his first UFC bantamweight championship by defeating Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292 in August 2023, and this victory is considered to be the most notable victory of his career. He holds the highest significant strike differential in UFC bantamweight history (3.31) and ranks second in strike accuracy (61.5%). He was named “Best MMA Fighter” at the 2024 ESPY Awards.
Merab Dvalishvili
He is known best for his exceptional wrestling, cardio, and pressure-building strategies on his opponents. He excels in takedowns and ground control, often overwhelming opponents with his pace. He secured the UFC Bantamweight championship by defeating Sean O’Malley at UFC 30, extending his winning streak to 11 fights, showcasing dominance in the division. He holds the UFC record for the most takedowns landed in bantamweight history (79) and most takedowns attempted in a single bout (49) against Peter Yan
| Factors | Merab Dvalishvili | Sean O’Malley |
| Height | 1.68 | 1.8 |
| Age | 34 | 30 |
| Weight | 61.2 | 61.2 |
| Reach | 172.7 | 182.9 |
Conclusion
The Sean O’Malley vs Merab Dvalishvili is considered to be the most Interesting fight for the UFC fans because both fighters represent two contrasting forces at the top of the UFC Bantamweight division. The UFC 316 carries massive importance not just for the bantamweight title but for the legacy of both fighters. For Sean “Sugar” O’Malley, it is a chance to prove himself and overcome the blueprint that once shut him down. For Merab “The Machine” Dvalishvili, it’s an opportunity to solidify his reign and mark his name among the all-time great fighters in this division. As their rematch at UFC 316 approaches, the bantamweight title picture remains one of the most exciting in the sport, highlighting the classic battle between striker and grappler.
Who is stronger, Merab or Sean O’Malley?
Both Fighters have their different Techniques and skills to dominate opponents, but over the past few times, Merab Dvalishvili has been more Significant than Sean O’Malley