The announcement of Merab Dvalishvili facing Sean O’Malley for the second time at UFC 316 has generated considerable buzz among fans, though not all reactions are positive.
UFC 316 will be headlined by a bantamweight title fight where the current champion, Dvalishvili, will defend his belt against O’Malley. Dvalishvili previously defeated O’Malley to win the championship at UFC 306 last September. In their first match, Dvalishvili’s superior wrestling was a key factor, but O’Malley has since argued that he performed better than reflected in the official scoring and has been advocating for a rematch.
Since then, Dvalishvili successfully defended his title against the previously unbeaten Umar Nurmagomedov, while O’Malley has been out of action, recovering from hip surgery. Now, O’Malley is set to get his desired rematch against Dvalishvili on June 7 in Newark, New Jersey, without competing in any interim fights.
It`s safe to say that a segment of the fanbase is not enthusiastic about O’Malley being granted an immediate rematch. Below are some of the more critical responses to the announcement of the UFC 316 main event.
Marcus Blakely