Sean O’Malley Prepares for Rematch Against Merab Dvalishvili with Strategy Insights

Newark, N.J. – UFC bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley is gearing up for a rematch against former titleholder Merab Dvalishvili, set for June 7 at UFC 316. The fight comes less than a year after Dvalishvili defeated O’Malley by unanimous decision at UFC 306, dethroning him to claim the bantamweight title.

O’Malley, who has not fought since that bout, is eager for redemption against Dvalishvili, who successfully defended his title against another contender at UFC 311. As O’Malley prepares his strategy, fellow bantamweight Cory Sandhagen has offered insights on how he might improve for the rematch.

During a recent podcast, Sandhagen highlighted O’Malley’s struggle to get up from the ground during their previous encounter. “O’Malley’s real shot at winning this thing is a puncher’s chance, kind of,” Sandhagen said. “He was doing steps where there are better ways to stand up than what he did. Getting taken down is going to happen, especially when you’re a long, lanky guy.”

Sandhagen emphasized that O’Malley would face numerous takedowns from Dvalishvili and suggested that O’Malley needs to focus on standing up quickly after being taken down. “If Sean learns how to stand up a lot better, he’ll do a lot better in the next fight,” Sandhagen noted.

Additionally, Sandhagen advised O’Malley against overly aggressive striking without scoring points. “He’s not a point guy; he wants to put your lights out,” Sandhagen said. “But if he just continues to try to put Merab’s lights out, that might weigh against him.”

With Sandhagen’s strategy and Dvalishvili’s endurance from their last fight in mind, O’Malley has the opportunity to adapt. “When Merab gets close, you need to land solid strikes,” Sandhagen recommended. “He has to stand there, defend the shots, and when Merab gets close, just hit him.”

Meanwhile, Sandhagen himself is also looking for a title shot as he competes in a main event this Saturday against former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo.