Merab Dvalishvili is set to defend his bantamweight title against Sean O’Malley at UFC 316. The ‘Machine’ successfully outwrestled O’Malley to take the 135lb belt last September, and since then has defeated Umar Nurmagomedov to cement his status as an all-time great.
UFC 316 headliner Terrion Ware predicts a similar outcome for Dvalishvili in their highly anticipated rematch. The former MMA fighter, who lost both of O’Malley’s fights prior to the first bout, believes that O’Malley will struggle to close the gap with his grappling skills. Ware expects the fight to be closer than many anticipate, but ultimately predicts a Merab Dvalishvili victory by decision.
The two fighters clashed at a press conference earlier this week, where O’Malley made headlines for predicting a knockout win over Dvalishvili and downplaying his opponent’s title reign. The comment sparked a tense exchange between the two fighters, with Dvalishvili accusing O’Malley of playing up to the media in order to gain an advantage.
Source: https://bloodyelbow.com/2025/06/06/ufc-316-main-event-predicted-by-fighter-who-has-shared-the-octagon-with-merab-dvalishvili-and-sean-omalley