If Sean O’Malley hopes to fare higher in opposition to Merab Dvalishvili the second time round, he’s gonna must make one main change to his struggle recreation.
In September, ‘The Machine’ delivered a fully dominant efficiency in opposition to O’Malley to seize the UFC bantamweight championship. This Saturday evening, they’ll run it again when the promotion heads again to Newark, New Jersey, for a loaded UFC 316 card contained in the Prudential Middle.
Contemplating how straightforward it was for Dvalishvili to take the title from O’Malley final yr, it ought to come as no shock that ‘The Machine’ is a sizeable favourite within the rematch, with sportsbooks favoring him 3-to-1 to retain his title and go two-up on ‘Sugar.’
Providing his tackle their midly-anticipated sequel, former UFC and ONE world champion Demetrious Johnson thinks O’Malley has to make one main enchancment if he hopes to even issues up in opposition to Dvalishvili.
And it’s fairly apparent what that one factor is.
“The largest factor Sean has to do is struggle Merab within the wrestling and clinch exchanges,” Johnson stated on his YouTube channel. “Make it possible for once they grapple, he comes out higher. If he can’t, Merab can do the very same factor once more. O’Malley’s largest success within the first struggle was to the physique, however to win, he’ll have to make it a unique form of struggle.”
Sean O’Malley vows to complete Merab Dvalishvili in rematch
Forward of UFC 316, O’Malley was vital of Dvalishvili’s grapple-heavy model and vowed to complete the Georgian in spectacular style.
“It’s no secret, it’s striker vs. wrestler, it’s finisher vs. decisioner. His recreation plan is to get ahold of me and maintain me. My objective is to on the market and put his lights out,” O’Malley stated on UFC Countdown. “This struggle, he stated I’m going to show how loopy I’m, I’m going to field with him. If that’s his recreation plan, that may be silly.
“I do know I can put Merab’s lights out. UFC 316, I’m going to complete Merab, the truth that he beat me and I am going out and end him makes it that a lot sweeter.”
Sean O’Malley to win by KO/TKO is at the moment sitting at +500 on DraftKings.
