The first Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili fight saw the Georgian fighter take the UFC Bantamweight title away from his American rival. Merab completely rag-dolled O’Malley that evening, but here’s a twist – Sean was injured the whole time and never said a word until after surgery.
Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O’Malley 2 Odds
| Moneyline | Odds |
|---|---|
| Merab Dvalishvili | -300 |
| Sean O’Malley | +250 |
When, Where, and How to Watch?
- Place: Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey
- Date: Saturday, June 7, 2025
- Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: PPV
Sean O’Malley Coming in as a +250 Underdog
Sean O’Malley is the No. 1 contender in the UFC Bantamweight Rankings with an 18-2-1 record. Despite these impressive numbers, he’s seen as a huge underdog in the UFC 316 fight against Merab.
It’s all thanks to how bad things went in their first meeting, last September. Merab’s pressure was suffocating, and Sean simply didn’t have the tools to stop the takedowns.
That said, context matters. O’Malley had a busted wheel but fought anyway because the UFC needed a main event at the Sphere. Fast-forward to June 7 and he’s fully healthy.
But he’ll have to make some adjustments if he wishes to get the bantamweight stripe back. For example, we expect to see him switch to southpaw to protect that lead leg and punish Merab with teeps and jabs.
It won’t be easy against one of the best TD experts in the UFC, but he’s got the skills to put on a real war. His height, reach, and sharp counter game are tailor-made to dismantle pressure-heavy grapplers such as Merab. But that’s much easier said than done – and bookies think he won’t do it in the end.
Reasons Why Merab Dvalishvili is the -300 Favorite
In the first O’Malley vs. Merab fight, the Georgian landed nearly twice as many significant strikes as the American and took him down six times. Nicknamed “The Machine”, this guy thrives on pace, chain wrestling, and making you hate every second inside the cage.
But there’s a slight blind spot: Merab’s habit of ducking his head while blitzing in. It didn’t cost him before, but Sean’s camp definitely picked up on that. If Merab doesn’t tighten that up, a flying knee or slick uppercut could shut the lights out fast.
Oddsmakers, however, don’t think that’s likely to happen. They don’t think O’Malley will be the first man to beat Merab by KO, nor do they think he’s got what it takes to end Merab’s 12-win run.
Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O’Malley 2 Prediction
Our pick for the UFC 316 main event is that Sugar Sean gets his revenge with a knockout. We expect him to start sharp, stuff early takedowns, and catch Merab with something nasty in the later rounds.
Pick: Sean O’Malley