Suga Sean O'Malley VS Merab Dvalishvili: Round 2

Back in early February, rumors circulated about Suga Sean O'Malley's next fight.

A reporter, who has a reputation for getting things wrong, got it wrong when he thought O'Malley was squaring up against Cory Sandhagen at UFC 315.

Suga Sean O'Malley's ACTUAL Fight

No rumors this time around. This time, the news came directly from "the boss."

A charged-up UFC Owner Dana White announced via Twitter/X that Suga Sean O'Malley will challenge Merab "The Machine" Dvalishvili for the UFC Bantamweight Championship at UFC 316 in Newark, New Jersey, at the Prudential Center.

He's already one of the best strikers to ever grace the UFC Bantamweight Division, with the highest ever striking accuracy and differential. 12 of his 18 wins have come by knockout and all but one of his wins in the UFC have earned him a performance bonus. - Dana White

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O'Malley carries an 18-2-0 record into UFC 316, taking place on June 7. His last time out was a loss at the hands of Dvalishvili at UFC 306 in Las Vegas in September 2024.

Prior to losing the belt in Vegas, the Helena native won 6 of his last 7 fights, with a no contest being the only non-victory.

Merab Dvalishvili posts a record of 19-4 headed into UFC 316. He has won 12 matches in a row and hasn't lost since April 21, 2018.

Montana Crew at UFC 300 in Las Vegas with Anthem Snacks

A crew of Montanans tagged along with Anthem Snacks, the official jerky of UFC, to attend UFC 300. We also got to get an inside look at UFC's Performance Institute facility.

Gallery Credit: Aaron Flint