Merab Dvalishvili left no doubt at UFC 316, dominating Sean O’Malley in their highly anticipated rematch to retain the bantamweight title. The bout, held June, 2025, at Newark’s Prudential Center, saw Dvalishvili overwhelm O’Malley with relentless wrestling and pressure, ultimately ending the contest with a third-round submission via modified choke.
O’Malley, who had revamped his preparation and strategy after losing the belt to Dvalishvili in September 2024, started strong and landed several clean shots. However, Dvalishvili’s stamina and grappling proved insurmountable. The champion secured multiple takedowns and maintained control, wearing down O’Malley before locking in the decisive submission late in the third round.
With this victory, Dvalishvili extends his winning streak to and solidifies his place atop the bantamweight division. O’Malley, now on a two-fight skid, vowed to bounce back, but the night belonged to Dvalishvili, who immediately called out Cory Sandhagen as his next potential challenger.
