Sean O’Malley admits he’s ‘still delusional’ about beating Merab Dvalishvili in the UFC Octagon.<\/p>\n
‘Suga’ is now 0-2 against the bantamweight champion, riding a two-fight losing streak. ‘The Machine’ surpassed all expectations, smashing O’Malley in their UFC 316 rematch in June, finishing him with a modified north-south choke in the third round.<\/p>\n
Inspired by Max Holloway’s victory over Dustin Poirier in their trilogy at UFC 318, O’Malley still has it in him that he can eventually defeat Dvalishvili…<\/p>\n
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Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
Former bantamweight champion O’Malley appeared on his YouTube channel, where he reflected on his rivalry with Dvalishvili. ‘Suga’ believes, like Holloway did with Poirier at UFC 318, he could notch a win against Dvalishvili if they fought for a third time.<\/p>\n
“I truly believed that I was going to go out and make Merab look stupid [in the rematch],” O’Malley admitted. “And I’m still so delusional that I still believe I can do that. Max Holloway beat Dustin in his third fight, [he] lost the first two. So never say never.”<\/p>\n
Sean O\u2019Malley still believes he can beat Merab<\/p>\n
\u201cMax Holloway beat Dustin [Poirier] in his third fight, lost the first two. Never say never.\u201d<\/p>\n
\ud83c\udfa5 @SugaSeanMMA<\/a><\/p>\n pic.twitter.com\/NLm90Gv7De<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) July 24, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Before anything, O’Malley would have to insert himself back into the title picture. Back-to-back losses against the champion are a good way to lock yourself out of title contention for a long time. Most likely, O’Malley will need two to three quality wins before considering a trilogy fight.<\/p>\n In this time, Dvalishvili will also be defending his belt, as he will face Cory Sandhagen at UFC 320 in October. At 35 years old, ‘The Machine’s’ time at the top is dated; perhaps he’ll meet O’Malley on the come-down, if it ever happens.<\/p>\n Stick with MMAKnockout<\/a> for more FREE coverage of the UFC, MMA, Boxing. Follow MMAKnockout on Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n