Sean O’Malley Puts Dana White’s 2024 Plans on Hold With Unexpected Title Shot Plans Against Merab

UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley has confirmed that he will be facing number one title contender Merab Dvalishvili next in 2025. After Dvalishvili defeated Henry Cejudo at UFC 298 last month, Dana White confirmed that he is next in line to fight for the 135-pound crown.

However, following O’Malley’s spectacular UFC 299 win against Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera last week, where he thoroughly outclassed the Ecuadorian, ‘Suga’ called out featherweight champion Ilia Topuria, to the chagrin of Dvalishvili who was present at the event.

‘The Machine’ was disappointed at not being called out and even approached the champion backstage after his fight, congratulating him and suggesting that he should have been called out, which O’Malley dismissed. However, putting all speculations to rest, O’Malley tweeted “I WANT MERAB. 2025 will be legendary ✌🏽” moments ago.

While the Montana native has confirmed that he will face Dvalishvili, a large section of the fans are disappointed that they will have to wait until next year to see it. The reason behind this may be O’Malley’s injured foot as he was seen limping when coming out of the cage after defeating ‘Chito’ last week. He even came to the post-fight press conference with his right foot in a Walking boot.

However, there are no reports yet of his foot needing surgery and ‘Suga’ has confirmed that it was not broken as that would explain the long break between his first and upcoming second title defense. This has led to speculations that the reason behind this is the stylistic nightmare that Merab Dvalishvili is to him.

O’Malley-Dvalishvili a classic grappler vs. striker matchup

Henry Cejudo is possibly the most decorated martial artist in the world, having reached the zenith of two different sports. ‘Triple C’ is not only the youngest American to win an Olympic gold medal in wrestling, but also a former concurrent two-division champion at the world’s most competitive MMA promotion in the world. Which is to say that he can fight and was, in his prime, quite literally the best wrestler in his division in the world.

However, the ease with which Dvalishvili was able to deal with Cejudo, dominating rounds two and three of their UFC 299 clash and getting the better of the Olympian in most grappling exchanges, even managing to slam Cejudo to the ground to emerge victorious via a unanimous decision.

Also Read: UFC News: Sean Strickland Attacks Dana White Privilege for Israel Adesanya; Ex-Champ Demands Revenge From UFC CEO

And while O’Malley may not have much of a ground game, he has faced world-class wrestlers before, with the most recent being then-champion Aljamain Sterling, whom he defeated last year off of a brilliant counter after ‘Aljo’ chased him with a wild shot due to being frustrated at not being able to grab a hold of him. However, Dvalishvili, who although not a striker at O’Malley’s level, can hold his own on the feet and if he can remain patient, will inevitably find a moment where he could take ‘Suga’ to the ground. Or O’Malley may catch him with a few good shots as he goes for the takedown. Nothing can be said of certain, but that is exactly what makes that fight so intriguing. It’s a shame we will have to wait until next year to witness it.

What do you think about O’Malley finally calling out Dvalishvili?

Also Read: How Did Dana White Get the Original Yakuza Painting Worth Millions? Know Everything About UFC CEO’s Expensive Artwork