Merab Dvalishvili wants Sean O’Malley to bring their relationship back down to the bitter depths of last summer as they move towards a rematch.
The bantamweight duo were intense rivals heading into UFC 306 last September, but appear to have patched things up in recent weeks. O’Malley has even been complimentary of Dvalishvili as they prepare to square off for a second time at UFC 316.
Now, the champion wants them to go back to how things were last year, when they were constantly at one another’s throats. O’Malley appears to be a changed man in recent months, leaving social media and making a number of major lifestyle changes.
Merab Dvalishvili demands Sean O’Malley go back to trash talking ways
In a recent podcast detailing his new lifestyle ahead of UFC 316, Sean O’Malley made a number of surprisingly complimentary observations about Merab Dvalishvili. It’s a far cry from their bitter feud which led to last September’s historic UFC 306 headliner at the Las Vegas Sphere venue.
The former champion noted that had he won the first fight, then Dvalishvili’s legacy may have been harmed. But now after wins over O’Malley and Umar Nurmagomedov, there are many arguing for the Georgian’s spot as the greatest of all time at 135lb.
“I’ll forever be grateful for Merab in that sense that he beat me, he made me a better not just fighter, a better person, a better human,” O’Malley explained. “Losing is a weird thing. Where there’s struggle, there’s opportunity for growth.”
This seemed to irk the champion, who jokingly took to X to respond to the compliments coming from famed trash talker O’Malley. He wants him back to his old ways, telling the American: “Cut it out MFckrs – go back to talking s—. I need to be mad about you again.”
Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili appear to have developed a friendship
Indeed, it appears that the former rivals are in fact friends these days after putting their differences aside. They were spotted sharing a jacuzzi together in a recent video, where they discussed the potential fight in much friendlier terms than their first meeting.
O’Malley has already taken one scalp over Dvalishvili’s team when he won the belt from Aljamain Sterling in the summer of 2023. At the time, the feud between both sides was truly bitter, but they’re now bordering on being pals.
“Ready to go again?” O’Malley asked Merab, before checking in on his weight. “What are you weighing? 158lbs, 157lbs?” he quizzed. “Something like that,” Dvalishvili replied.
“Have you been enjoying champ life?” asked O’Malley. “Beginning, no, now I am,” Dvalishvili admitted. “Your last fight was impressive, you looked good, it was a fun fight to watch,” O’Malley told him. “When we fight again, I know you hit hard and then I know you’re going to change plan,” Dvalishvili said.
“I only had one hip last time, I’ve got both hips now,” O’Malley replied. “I’m going to use my striking. You think I won’t, you think I won’t?” Dvalishvili responded as the famed knockout artist laughed off his suggestion.
