Sean O’Malley lost to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306. The Georgian fighter put on an incredible grappling-dominated performance and ended O’Malley’s reign as champion. It seems like this has got ‘Suga’ contemplating dependence on only his striking abilities. Here is what happened:
Sean O’Malley posted a short video on Instagram soon after his defeat to Merab Dvalishvili. The former bantamweight champion was in a wrestling singlet practicing takedown defense drills while his coach directed him in the background. ‘Suga’ even uploaded the video with a caption that read “back to work.”
Merab Dvalishvili consistently pressured O’Malley with takedown attempts, clinch work, and positional control on the ground. Meanwhile, O’Malley who is more comfortable fighting at range with striking, struggled to create space and land significant strikes.
Over five rounds, Dvalishvili’s non-stop pressure and superior grappling overwhelmed O’Malley, leading to a unanimous decision victory. Throughout the fight, Dvalishvili’s strategy centered on closing the distance, avoiding exchanges in the stand-up, and taking the fight to the mat.
O’Malley had brief moments where he got the opportunity to show his fast hands and accuracy, but Dvalishvili’s wrestling wore him down. Each round saw Dvalishvili relentlessly shooting for takedowns, clinching against the cage, and controlling O’Malley on the ground. This left little opportunity for the reigning champion to capitalize on his striking skills. The judges scored the bout 49-46, 48-47, and 48-47, which is a reflection of Dvalishvili’s consistent dominance in all rounds.
Netizens react to Sean O’Malley’s video after UFC 306 loss
Sean O’Malley’s wrestling video caught the attention of netizens on social media. People from the MMA community who saw his performance at Noche UFC went to the comment section to share their thoughts and reactions to the video. Here are some of the reactions from X:
Netizens criticize Sean O’Malley after loss to Merab Dvalishvili (Image via Imago)This technique is exactly why he was laid out on his back for 25 minutes straight like a vegas hooker
— Pearnivore🍐 (@Pearnivore) September 15, 2024
Sore looser didn’t even stay in the ring
— Godsmasterpeace (@PURPPSCG) September 15, 2024
got absolutely flattened and thinks it’s all a joke.
— SLAM CENTRAL STATION (@SlamCentralNYY) September 15, 2024
I like the attitude. This is how a fighter should respond to a loss.
— Rumblo (@Rumblestripss) September 15, 2024
People forget O’Malley is only 29. He has a long career ahead of him. #UFC306
— Conversations with An American Werewolf (@CwaAWerewolf) September 15, 2024
this guy deserves the L he slacked big time
— Tercet Trade (@tercettrade) September 15, 2024
Front kick to the gut, sprawl……repeat as many times as necessary
— TnD (@Taking_Souls72) September 15, 2024
Better stick to those call of duty and gossip with Timmy podcast, you’re done the suga show is over here is the reality show
— Joe Wild (@JoeAIfollower) September 15, 2024
UFC CEO Dana White had commented that O’Malley did not perform at his best at UFC 306. According to the UFC head honcho, ‘Suga’ looked “flat” and lacked his usual crispness in the fight. With Merab Dvalishvili now as the UFC bantamweight champion, there is growing talk of him potentially facing top contender Umar Nurmagomedov next.
This could put O’Malley in a position where he might not get an immediate rematch. He may need to face another top contender first. Other possible opponents for O’Malley include Petr Yan, who has been vocal about wanting a rematch after feeling robbed in their 2022 fight. Meanwhile, there are other top contenders like Cory Sandhagen or Henry Cejudo.
