Sean O’Malley’s longtime jiu-jitsu coach, Augusto Mendes, expresses strong confidence ahead of the bantamweight title rematch against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 316. Mendes believes a more “mature” and fully healthy “Suga” is poised to get the win this time.
O’Malley previously lost to Dvalishvili by decision in September 2024, marking only the second defeat of his professional MMA career. He has been open about the challenges he faced before that UFC 306 bout.
Nine months later, Mendes notes O’Malley is thoroughly prepared after a rigorous 12-week training camp. A hip injury had previously prevented O’Malley from effectively training his guard game for the first fight, and he only agreed to fight at UFC 306 primarily to headline the event at The Sphere in Las Vegas. Mendes also mentioned O’Malley dealt with even worse injuries before his title-winning knockout of Aljamain Sterling.
This time, however, “Suga” is ready to utilize his complete skillset for five rounds of championship action. A new lifestyle, including quitting marijuana and reducing social media use, coupled with recently becoming a father, has contributed to his transformation.
“He’s more mature now,” Mendes commented. “He’s 30 now, and he’s enjoyed his 20s like all of us… But it’s his evolution as a person.”
Mendes continued, “We think Merab didn’t see the best version of ‘Suga’… Merab thinks he knows what is like, but it wasn’t his best last time around. Maybe he’ll be surprised as soon as the fight starts and he sees different movement, different power, better jiu-jitsu… We’re sure of that… We’re very confident that Merab will see the best version of Sean now.”
Dvalishvili boasts an impressive undefeated streak spanning over seven years. A win at UFC 316 would place him high on the list of longest winning streaks in company history with 13 consecutive victories. Mendes, who called Dvalishvili “hittable” before their first encounter, is confident O’Malley will end this streak.
“[O’Malley] can win in any area,” Mendes stated. “He’s well-prepared. He can win via decision if he has to. He’s ready for 25 minutes of war. He’s focused. Merab really is hittable. His approach to the fight was different than his other fights… Against Sean he would punch the air from afar and then shoot when in range.”
Mendes anticipates Dvalishvili might try similar tactics (taunting, shooting), but maintains that Sean can win in any situation. “I’m very confident in a knockout. Maybe there are some surprises on the ground. We know Merab is not easy to tap, but we have some tricks up his sleeve if he gets to a good position.”
Marcus Blakely