Merab Dvalishvili successfully defended his title in the main event of UFC 316, submitting Sean O’Malley with a third-round guillotine choke after a dominant performance that highlighted his relentless style.
The Georgian champion showcased his signature pressure and persistent takedown attempts throughout the fight. While O’Malley demonstrated improved wrestling defense compared to their previous encounter, he ultimately couldn`t fully prevent Dvalishvili from controlling the grappling exchanges, which proved crucial to the fight`s conclusion.
In the third round, Dvalishvili once again secured a takedown. He quickly transitioned to lock in a tight guillotine choke. O’Malley attempted to roll out, but this maneuver only seemed to deepen the hold, leaving him no option but to tap out at the 4:42 mark of the round.
Celebrating his impressive victory, Dvalishvili was emotional and triumphant, declaring:
I`m on top of the world, I`m a world champion! I came from nothing. It doesn’t matter what you have as long as you know where you go and you have a goal. Please, believe in your dreams. Everything is possible.
He also acknowledged O`Malley`s preparation while emphasizing his own improvement:
He was well prepared. I knew he was going to make changes. Every time I lost, I made a big change and I learned from it. But I`m getting better and better. Now it`s my time.
Despite O`Malley`s best efforts to make adjustments and counter Dvalishvili`s attack, the champion consistently found ways to maintain control and dictate the pace, ultimately securing the fight-ending sequence.
From the opening bell, O`Malley sought to use lateral movement and striking from distance to evade Dvalishvili`s grappling, landing a jab while circling away. However, Dvalishvili`s constant forward pressure was immediate and relentless. He connected with a solid left hand before securing the first takedown of the fight.
Dvalishvili maintained his forward momentum, securing further takedowns and controlling the action from top position, landing ground and pound including elbows and punches from inside O`Malley`s guard.
The second round saw O`Malley attempting to strike effectively from the outside, but Dvalishvili remained undeterred. He continued to push forward, landing his own sharp combinations. While Dvalishvili pursued O`Malley across the cage, he had to be mindful of potential counter-strikes while working to close the distance.
Even though O`Malley`s takedown defense was improved, he absorbed noticeable hard punches from Dvalishvili, who seemed to be striking with increased confidence and power in the rematch.
Inevitably, Dvalishvili succeeded in closing the distance, securing a powerful lift and slamming O`Malley to the canvas once more. From top control, he continued to apply heavy pressure with punches, elbows, and knees to the body.
O`Malley briefly managed to scramble back to his feet, but Dvalishvili wasted no time, immediately snatching him back down. This time, Dvalishvili quickly transitioned to a powerful guillotine choke, allowing O`Malley minimal time to react before the submission was fully locked in.
Despite O`Malley`s struggle, Dvalishvili`s grip only tightened, leading to the fight`s conclusion moments later. It was another dominant performance from “The Machine,” securing his second victory over O`Malley, who acknowledged the champion`s toughness post-fight.
Reflecting on the loss, O`Malley offered his perspective:
I didn`t feel like it was going to go like that. Unfortunately it did. Merab is a motherf*cker.
I just wanted to stick around and thank everybody that came out and supported us. If it wasn`t for you guys, this shit wouldn`t be possible. I feel super, super grateful right now that I get to do this. I have a two-week old at home a four year old at home and a perfect wife. So I`m excited to go home and spend some time with them but Merab`s a motherf*cker.
Extending his impressive win streak to 13 consecutive victories, Dvalishvili wasted no time turning his attention to Cory Sandhagen, who was seated cageside as a potential next challenger in the bantamweight division.
Dvalishvili addressed Sandhagen directly:
You`re the man, let`s go! He`s the most deserving guy. He`s a really good guy and I like his jokes, too.
Marcus Blakely