For his second title defense, UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili took on Sean O’Malley in the main event of June 7.
Dvalishvili entered the contest after building a highly-impressive 12-fight win streak in the promotion.
The UFC 316 main event was a rematch as Dvalishvili and O’Malley had previously faced off at UFC 306. “The Machine” got the better of O’Malley that night and defeated him via unanimous decision.
UFC 316 marked “Suga”s first UFC outing since losing the title to Dvalishvili.
UFC 316: Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O’Malley 2 Recap and Highlights
Round 1
O’Malley threw a spinning back kick to start the fight. Both fighters appeared to take a cautious approach and took time in measuring each other up. O’Malley threw a couple of jabs. Dvalishvili landed a left hand in response.
O’Malley threw a body kick and followed it up with a right hand. “Suga” continued to attack his opponent’s body with kicks. Dalishvilit got O’Malley against the cage and scored a takedown. Within a few seconds, O’Malley got back up on his feet.
O’Malley attempted a knee but slipped and fell. Once again, “The Machine” pinned his opponent against the fence and then took him to the ground. Dvalishvili threw several strikes from the top position.
Round 2
O’Malley threw a spinning kick but missed his target. Dvalishvili started to push forward and landed a combo of punches onf “Suga”. O’Malley responded by landing a heavy right hand.
O’Malley persisted with his attack to Dvalishvili’s body with kicks and jabs. Dvalishvili attempted a takedown but O’Malley stuffed it. “Suga” was finding success with his punches. The champion responded by landing a combo of strikes. Dvalishvili attempted a takedown but failed.
Round 3
Dvalishvili tried to take O’Malley down but “Suga” countered the attempt with a punch. “The Machine” proceeded to pick his opponent up and threw him on the ground. The champion got into top postition and attempted several blows, but nothing proved to be significant.
O’Malley tried to get back on his feet but Dvalishvili foiled his attempts and kept him on the ground.
After some struggle, O’Malley got back on his feet against the fence but Dvalishvili ended up taking him down again. Dvalishvili got O’Malley in a north-south choke which led to O’Malley tapping out.
Merab Dvalishvili, 3. Raunt’ta Sean O’Malley’i pes ettirerek kemerini korumayı başardı!!! 🔥🔥🏆
Bu adamı kim durduracak? Kim durdurabilir? Akıl alır gibi değil. pic.twitter.com/Cwu2MRtjXb
— CagePulseUFC (@Cage_PulseUFC) June 8, 2025
UFC 316: Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O’Malley 2 Result
Dvalishvili got the better of O’Malley in the rematch and emerged victorious with a third-round submission victory. In his post-fight Octagon interview with Joe Rogan, Dvalishvili thanked his fans and the UFC.
“The Machine” then expressed interest in defending his throne against Cory Sandhagen.