Merab Dvalishvili hyping up Sean O’Malley rematch after Dana White’s interest attract backlash: “Fight nobody asked for”

UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili was trolled for posting a skit teasing a rematch against Sean O'Malley.

Merab Dvalishvili hyping up Sean O’Malley rematch after Dana White’s interest attract backlash: “Fight nobody asked for”

A potential rematch between Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O'Malley faces backlash (Image via Instagram/CNN/Imago)

Professional MMA fighters and athletes in combat sports often project a formidable and fierce persona. However, UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili stands out as he has a jolly personality, which is quite different from most. Recently, while trying to generate excitement for his potential rematch with Sean O’Malley, Dvalishvili faced some backlash.

After UFC 311, Merab Dvalishvili publicly stated his desire to defend his title against either Sean O’Malley or Petr Yan. However, based on his recent activities, it appears that the UFC bantamweight champion is more focused on a potential rematch with O’Malley. This inference is drawn from a recent video Dvalishvili posted on his social media accounts.

YouTube video

The two UFC bantamweight stars faced off against each other at Noche UFC (UFC 306). O’Malley, who was on the verge of cementing his reign in the 135 lbs division, faltered against Dvalishvili. The Georgian fighter dominated the Montana native throughout the five-round match. However, O’Malley emerged with the decision and sought a rematch against Dvalishvili.

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Following Dvalishvili’s successful title defense against Umar Nurmagomedov, discussions about his next opponent have intensified. Since the UFC bantamweight champion mentioned O’Malley as a potential next matchup, it drew everyone’s attention. UFC CEO Dana White was also asked about this possibility and expressed his support for a rematch between the two fighters.

Fight fans react to Merab Dvalishvili posting a skit teasing a rematch against Sean O’Malley

Before their first encounter, both Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley generated considerable attention with their humorous skit videos. In these videos, the two UFC bantamweight fighters playfully poked fun at each other with subtle jabs. As excitement builds within the UFC community about their upcoming rematch, Dvalishvili seized the opportunity to share similar videos once again.

Sean O'Malley and Merab Dvalishvili in action at Noche UFC
Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili in action at Noche UFC (Image via Forbes)

O’Malley once used a mannequin resembling Dvalishvili to tease him. Recently, in the video posted by the UFC bantamweight champion, he brought along a mannequin that looked like ‘Suga’ to his sparring session. This quickly became viral, sparking reactions from fight fans. Check out some of the responses below.

Since Dvalishvili dominated O’Malley in their last clash, many fight fans are critical of this rematch. Instead, they seem to prefer the Montana native face off against contenders like Petr Yan in a title eliminator fight. However, the UFC executives have not made any official announcements regarding a potential fight between Dvalishvili and O’Malley.

Related: Merab Dvalishvili fighting style: Is Georgian UFC star combat sambo champion like Khabib Nurmagomedov?