Sean O’Malley is no longer the bantamweight champion following a decisive defeat at UFC 316.
In the main event held at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, O’Malley faced Merab Dvalishvili for the title. Despite O`Malley`s preparations, the fight did not go his way.
Merab Dvalishvili, who had previously defeated O`Malley earlier in their careers, secured a victory via unanimous decision at UFC 316. This win marked Dvalishvili as the new champion and extended his impressive winning streak inside the Octagon.
As `The Machine` likely moves on to face Cory Sandhagen, Sean O’Malley’s next move remains uncertain. However, a familiar opponent has quickly offered a potential path forward – another rematch.
Aljamain Sterling suggests a rematch, claiming he wasn`t 100% in their first fight
Aljamain Sterling, a close friend and training partner of Dvalishvili, was cageside for the event. Sterling is well-acquainted with both the bantamweight title picture and O`Malley himself, having held the 135-pound belt for a record duration before O’Malley knocked him out in 2023 to claim the championship.
`Funk Master` has since transitioned to the featherweight division, where he currently holds a 1-1 record across two fights.
Amid speculation about O’Malley potentially moving up to 145 pounds after his loss to Dvalishvili, Sterling took to social media platform X to express his interest in a rematch with `Suga`.
“Let the former champ rest. But I would absolutely LOVE to show him what a healthy version of myself would do. He’s got great skills but I still know that was 50% version of myself,” Sterling wrote.
Sean O’Malley considers his next steps
For the moment, O’Malley is expected to take time away to recover and evaluate his options.
His tenure as champion ended with the loss to Dvalishvili at UFC 316. This followed his successful title defense against Marlon Vera at UFC 299 in Miami.
With Dvalishvili now atop the bantamweight division, O’Malley faces a potentially long road back to title contention if he chooses to remain at 135 pounds.
During his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan inside the Octagon at UFC 316, O’Malley did not discuss his future plans. Instead, he showed class by congratulating Dvalishvili and thanking the fans for their support.
Moving up to featherweight has been a topic of discussion for O’Malley in the past. During UFC 316 fight week, his coach commented that ‘Suga’ could “definitely hang” with the top competitors in the 145-pound division.
