Sean O’Malley Reveals Shocking Truth About ‘Borderline Embarrassing’ UFC Title Loss
In a candid interview with Bloody Elbow, former UFC Bantamweight Champion Sean O’Malley opened up about his title loss to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306, revealing that he was far from 100% during the fight due to a torn labrum injury. The two fighters are set to face off again in the main event of UFC 316 on June 7th in Newark, New Jersey.
According to O’Malley, he was hardly able to grapple in the preparations for the first fight against Dvalishvili, a fighter notorious for his wrestling and cardio skills. In a stunning revelation, O’Malley claimed that he grappled more during a single morning practice session than he did throughout the entire 10-week training camp for the first fight. "This sounds like I’m exaggerating, and I’m not," O’Malley said on The Ariel Helwani Show. "Just today, this morning practice that I had, I grappled more today than I grappled last fight camp for Merab. I know it sounds like [crazy]."
O’Malley’s performance in the first fight against Dvalishvili was widely panned, with many critics calling it "borderline embarrassing." The 29-year-old fighter acknowledged that he was not at his best, citing a torn labrum injury that he suffered 10 weeks prior to the fight. Despite this, O’Malley remains supremely confident in his skills, believing that his ground game is "criminally underrated." "I know I could wrestle better than I shown in that last fight," O’Malley said. "That was borderline embarrassing what I was able to do against Merab."
Merab Dvalishvili, widely regarded as one of the greatest bantamweights of all time, will look to prove his superiority once again against O’Malley. However, the former champion is determined to pull off the upset, stating that he plans to knock out Dvalishvili in their rematch. "Merab’s tough. Merab’s good," O’Malley added. "Merab’s probably considered the greatest bantamweight of all time as of right now. So, I’m gonna go out there, knock him out… what does that make me?"
As reported by Bloody Elbow, O’Malley’s training has been focused on improving his grappling skills, with the fighter admitting that he was unable to do so during the first fight. "We did 7 six-minute rounds today, grappling hard, picking the hardest guys, just straight grappling today," O’Malley revealed. "I wasn’t able to do that once last camp." With a newfound emphasis on grappling, O’Malley is confident that he can overcome Dvalishvili’s wrestling-based game plan.
The stage is set for an epic rematch between O’Malley and Dvalishvili at UFC 316. With O’Malley’s determination to prove himself and Dvalishvili’s reputation as one of the best bantamweights in the world, fans can expect an explosive encounter. As Bloody Elbow reported, O’Malley’s shocking revelation about his title loss has generated significant interest in the upcoming rematch, with many fans eager to see if the former champion can overcome his injuries and defeat Dvalishvili once again.
The photo of Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili’s first fight, by Christian Petersen/Getty Images, shows the intensity of their battle. A healthy and well-prepared O’Malley is a force to be reckoned with, and fans will be eagerly anticipating the outcome of this highly anticipated rematch.
Bloody Elbow has provided in-depth coverage of this developing story and will continue to monitor the situation closely. For more information, visit Bloody Elbow.
