“I think I’m close [to catching Conor McGregor],” Sean O’Malley confidently declared, anticipating his rise in the UFC. He continued, “[His star power] has to die down eventually…If he loses, I’m there. I’m the guy.” O’Malley was certain that he would soon eclipse McGregor’s star power before UFC 306. Little did he know, however, what awaited him at UFC 306, where Merab Dvalishvili was ready to challenge him.

‘The Machine’ dominated Sean O’Malley round after round, ultimately taking his bantamweight title with a unanimous decision victory (49-46, 48-47, 48-47). Initially, ‘Suga’ accepted the defeat, but later argued that he won the 1st, 2nd, and 5th rounds, pushing for a rematch. During the fight, O’Malley also suffered a torn labrum, which intensified his desire for a rematch. This loss led Merab Dvalishvili to face Umar Nurmagomedov for his first title defense at UFC 311 earlier this year, leaving the American’s future uncertain.

However, this week, UFC President Dana White revealed the timeline for Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili 2.0 during an Instagram Live session. White confirmed that the UFC would return to Newark, New Jersey, for UFC 316 on June 7, fulfilling Suga’s wish. Despite the excitement, former UFC fighter Ben Askren doesn’t believe this is the best career move for the American. On Daniel Cormier’s podcast, Askren shared his perspective, advising O’Malley to fight lower-ranked opponents before facing the champion, the Georgian.

Askren said, “If you look at his skill set and who he is, I kind of think this is a bad move. If he gets beat up by Merab again, then he loses a whole bunch of attraction because it’s like, well, you already lost to the champ twice. So until the champ goes away, they’re not going to give you a third shot against him. He could have fought some maybe lower-ranked guys and just looked, you know, against guys who can’t take him down, he kind of looks like a real freaking superstar, right?”

Given the current landscape, Askren’s words seem to hold significant weight. Meanwhile, Merab Dvalishvili, 35, is operating on an entirely different level. His resilience and skill were proven earlier this year when he stunned the MMA world by dethroning the “untouchable” Dagestani fighters. In a hard-fought 5-round battle against the previously undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov—Khabib’s cousin—Dvalishvili handed him his first career loss. It wasn’t just his skill but his remarkable endurance, or “gas tank,” that made all the difference.

With Sean Sean O’Malley’s return approaching, he’s promised to return stronger than ever, cutting out all distractions—including social media. But the real question remains: Will it be enough to dethrone Merab Dvalishvili, who has earned the reputation of being the greatest bantamweight? Let’s see what Henry Cejudo has to say.

Henry Cejudo names Merab Dvalishvili the “GOAT” of the bantamweight division

Talent recognizes talent. Merab Dvalishvili, who left his native country of Georgia in pursuit of a better life—one that would be the best possible life—joined the world of mixed martial arts. His journey took a significant turn in 2017 when he entered the UFC. However, his initial bouts didn’t go as planned, and ‘The Machine’ faced setbacks. Undeterred, he refocused on his purpose, shifting gears.

Since 2018, he has been unstoppable, amassing a 13-fight win streak. Though a few of his wins came by finish, he has proven his ability to win consistently, overcoming legendary fighters such as Petr Yan and Henry Cejudo. The Georgian even bested Cejudo at his own game, solidifying his position at the top. Henry Cejudo, who had initially criticized the scorecard of the Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O’Malley fight, changed his perspective after seeing Dvalishvili’s performance at UFC 311, where he faced the younger and highly talented Umar Nurmagomedov.

On his podcast Pound for Pound, co-hosted with Kamaru Usman, Cejudo admitted, “You’ve got to give him his flowers and I can say, I was wrong. Merab got another level of respect for me for what he was able to do. He beat a young 29-year-old who was undefeated… This was probably one of the greatest bantamweight fights of all time… Merab is the real deal man, he’s the best in the world for a reason. I feel like at this point though, you’ve got to put him in at least pound-for-pound top three… I eat my words… I don’t feel so damn bad for losing anymore. Yeah, you have to (call him the bantamweight GOAT) man.”

Now, considering Ben Askren’s comments on the potential rematch between Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili, do you think Askren has a point? Could an immediate rematch with Dvalishvili hurt ‘Suga’s image as a rising star in the sport? What’s your take on this? Drop your thoughts below!