Tag: Sean O’Malley

We’re about 24 hours away from UFC 316, and MMANews is here to bring you the video from the ceremonial weigh-ins for the card!

UFC 316 takes place on June 7 from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

The main event will see a rematch for the UFC bantamweight championship, as this time it’s Merab Dvalishvili defending the title against Sean O’Malley. Dvalishvili won the championship by defeating O’Malley in the main event of Noche UFC 2 (UFC 306) in September and defended the title against Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311. The UFC women’s bantamweight gold will also be at stake in the co-main event, as defending two-time champion Julianna Pena faces the challenge of former two-time PFL champion Kayla Harrison.

The rest of the main card will also see Kelvin Gastelum taking on Joe Pyfer, former Bellator champion Patchy Mix facing Mario Bautista and Kevin Holland going toe-to-toe with Vicente Luque.

Only Ariane da Silva missed weight – coming in six pounds over the limit – but all fights are in tact and are a go for tomorrow night!

The ceremonial weigh-ins present the last opportunity for opponents to face off before they meet inside the Octagon. Check them out below via the UFC’s official YouTube channel!

UFC 316 Ceremonial Weigh-In Video

We are just one day away from UFC 316, and we’ve got the official weigh-in results for you here at MMANews.

Just as they have the last two years, the UFC brings its early June pay-per-view offering to the city of Newark, New Jersey. The world’s fighting leader will provide the Prudential Center with two title fights and a whole lot of action to go down.

The main event will see Sean O’Malley look to re-capture the UFC bantamweight championship against the man who took it from him, Merab Dvalishvili. Dvalishvili took a clear unanimous decision, troubling O’Malley with his grappling expertise, when the two first faced off at Noche UFC 2 (UFC 306) in September. While O’Malley has not fought since the loss, Dvalishvili successfully defended the title against Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 in January.

The co-main event will also have 135-pound gold on the line, as women’s champion Julianna Pena defends the title against Kayla Harrison. Pena became a two-time champion at UFC 307 in October, scoring a controversial decision win over Raquel Pennington to reclaim the gold. Pena’s first run with the belt came when she upset Amanda Nunes in December 2021 at UFC 269 — only to lose it back to her at UFC 277. Harrison, a former two-time PFL champion, has defeated Holly Holm and Ketlen Vieira since jumping ship to the UFC.

The main card will also see Kelvin Gastelum taking on Joe Pyfer, the UFC debut of former Bellator champion Patchy Mix against Mario Bautista and Vicente Luque battling Kevin Holland.

UFC 316 Weigh-In Video, Results

UFC 316 takes place Saturday, June 7 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The main card begins at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT, with the preliminary card starting at 6 PM ET/3 PM PT.

See above for a replay of the UFC 316 Weigh-In Show, and check out the full results below.

Main Card:

• Bantamweight Championship: Merab Dvalishvili (134) vs. Sean O’Malley (135)
• Women’s Bantamweight Championship: Julianna Pena (135) vs. Kayla Harrison (135)
• Middleweight: Kelvin Gastelum (185) vs. Joe Pyfer (185)
• Bantamweight: Mario Bautista (135) vs. Patchy Mix (135)
• Welterweight: Vicente Luque (170) vs. Kevin Holland (170)

Preliminary Card:

• Flyweight: Bruno Gustavo da Silva (125) vs. Joshua Van (125)
• Light Heavyweight: Azamat Murzakanov (205) vs. Brendson Ribeiro (205)
• Heavyweight: Serghei Spivac (251) vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta (265)
• Welterweight: Khaos Williams (170) vs. Andreas Gustafsson (170)

Early Preliminary Card:

• Women’s Flyweight: Ariane da Silva (132*) vs. Wang Cong (125)
• Featherweight: Jeka Saragih (145) vs. Yoo Joo-sang (145)
• Lightweight: Quillan Salkilld (156) vs. Yanal Ashmouz (155)
• Lightweight: MarQuel Mederos (155) vs. Mark Choinski (155)

For the third year in a row, the UFC brings its early June pay-per-view offering to the city of Newark, New Jersey, as the UFC goes down at the Prudential Center. Get yourself ready and in the know with another edition of MMA News staff fight predictions.

The event will be available exclusively on ESPN+ pay-per-view on Saturday, June 7. The main card will begin at its usual 10pm ET start time, with preliminary card action kicking off at 6pm ET.

The main event of the evening will be a second clash over the UFC bantamweight championship between Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley. The two first met at Noche UFC 2 — UFC 306 — this past September, with Dvalishvili taking a strong decision win to claim the gold and become just the second man to defeat O’Malley. Dvalishvili retained the title in comeback decision fashion against Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 this past January, while this marks O’Malley’s first fight since the title loss.

The co-main event of the evening will also see a title be decided, as Julianna Pena defends the UFC women’s bantamweight championship against former Olympic gold medalist and two-time PFL champion Kayla Harrison. This marks Pena’s first defense of the title since her controversial decision victory over Raquel Pennington at UFC 307 in October to win the title. On the same card, Harrison, in her second fight since jumping ship to the UFC, scored a dominant decision over Ketlen Vieira to earn the title shot.

The UFC 316 main card will also see middleweight action featuring Kelvin Gastelum and Joe Pyfer, Mario Bautista taking on the debuting former Bellator bantamweight champion Patchy Mix and a welterweight encounter featuring Vicente Luque and Kevin Holland.

UFC 316: MMA News Staff Predictions

With UFC 316 just a couple of short days away,  Ryan Jarrell, Pranav Pandey, and myself (Thomas Albano) have provided our picks for the fights that make up the main card.

Below, you can check out the current leaderboard through five cards in 2025.

1. Pranav Pandey (13-9)
   Thomas Albano (12-10)
2. Ryan Jarrell (11-11)

And now, let’s take a look at everyone’s picks for UFC 316!

Welterweight: Vicente Luque vs. Kevin Holland

Pranav Pandey: Honestly, I’m not quite sure where Holland stands these days. His recent form has been all over the place, especially when compared to a battle-tested veteran like Luque. Sure, Holland got back in the win column with his victory over Gunnar Nelson, but truth be told, that fight felt awkward and lacked real rhythm. Meanwhile, “The Silent Assassin” looked sharp in his last outing. That said, facing someone like Holland presents a unique challenge. “Trailblazer” holds a significant reach advantage, and in my opinion, he’s going to use every inch of it to keep Luque’s grappling threat at bay. If Holland stays composed and strategic, this could turn into a frustrating night for Luque. (Prediction: Holland)

Thomas Albano: This is the fight on the main card that I’m having the most trouble picking. Both Vicente Luque and Kevin Holland can flash power. Both Luque and Holland have strong grappling abilities. Both men have had a mix bag of results in their most recent string of match-ups – and both have had struggles against upper-level competition.

This is one of those fights that could fall either way. I and others in the MMA media space probably give the edge in power to Holland versus the edge in grappling to Luque. While Holland has problems with consistency, there should be concern about Luque’s health given his losses to Joaquin Buckley and Geoff Neal. I’m not the most confident in this pick, and I wouldn’t put any money on this fight. But if I had to pick a side, while my initial gut reaction was to go with Luque, I’m going to go with the “Trailblazer” here. (Prediction: Holland)

Ryan Jarrell: This is a tricky fight for me to pick because I think Luque at his best would beat Holland. Even with his most recent victory over Themba Gorimbo, I am not sure the ‘Silent Assassin’ is still in his prime. Kevin Holland is always a wild card to me and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him go in and look like the absolute best version of himself. It also wouldn’t surprise me to see him get finished like he did against RDR. This is a coin flip to me, and I’ll side with Luque because I would imagine he restored his confidence after his recent quick victory over a rising star. (Prediction: Luque)

Consensus: 2-1 Holland

Bantamweight: Mario Bautista vs. Patchy Mix

Pranav Pandey: It’s an intriguing stylistic matchup. Bautista is a high-pressure, in-your-face fighter who relentlessly pushes the pace and blends his striking with slick level changes. He knows his strengths and leans into them with purpose. On the other hand, Mix is stepping into the Octagon for his promotional debut. While I haven’t seen a ton of him firsthand, what I do know is that “No Love” is a submission savant. I’m more than ready to hop aboard the hype train and see if he can put the clamps on someone as durable and aggressive as Bautista. (Prediction: Mix)

Thomas Albano: I’m excited to see Patchy Mix back in action, now competing in the UFC. During his time as Bellator champion, I always viewed him as a face of the promotion – especially during the time period he was there after PFL purchased Bellator (tumultuous as it was). He legitimately up until his official signing weeks ago, at least in my mind, was one of the top talents not signed to the UFC. And he’ll already have the opportunity to make a big statement in this one.

Mario Bautista is not going to be a pushover. Bautista has a pressure-heavy, striking-heavy style, bringing forth plenty of power and momentum into his fights against opponents who may not be ready. And considering his wins over Ricky Simon and Jose Aldo (controversial as the latter was) last year, he’s ready to face a competitor like Mix. If Mix can take advantage and bring the fight to his world – to the mat – and negate Bautista’ striking game as much as possible, he can pick up the win here. And I believe that very well can happen come Saturday. (Prediction: Mix)

Ryan Jarrell: I really like what I’ve been seeing out of Mario Bautista during his win streak. Forget all the haters that jumped all over him for his game-plan against Jose Aldo. At the end of the day he got the job done and had his hand raised. I do think Patchy Mix will be a force in the UFC and someone to contend with at the top of the division for quite some time. But there is something to be said about the octagon jitters and historically speaking, debuting fighters have not faired well when competing with the elite regardless of the division. Give me Bautista to edge out a tough fought decision and continue his march up the top 15. (Prediction: Bautista)

Consensus: 2-1 Mix

Middleweight: Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer

Pranav Pandey: In my opinion, Gastelum still has that bulldozer-like durability he’s always been known for, but his inconsistency over the years makes me hesitant, especially against a power-punching sniper like Pyfer, who holds a clear reach advantage. I don’t think this will be an easy outing for either man, but if “Bodybagz” can manage the range and dish out damage from the outside, I could easily see him picking apart Gastelum, whose tendency to absorb shots has often put him in dangerous waters. (Prediction: Pyfer)

Thomas Albano: I really don’t want to come off as I’m quickly writing Gastelum off. After all, he has victories in two of his last three fights (including his most recent one), and he’s had some noteworthy performances regardless of result. But given Joe Pyfer’s momentum, and Gastelum losing a lot more than he’s been winning over the last several years, this just feels like a situation where an older fighter is being brought in as a lamb to slaughter for the younger rising star. I’ll respect Gastelum for trying to fight fire with fire, but he’ll need to mix up his grappling skills with it to have a shot in this one. And even then, I’m not sure if his pressure will be enough against the precision, speed, and power behind Joe Pyfer’s hands. (Prediction: Pyfer)

Ryan Jarrell: I think this fight is a case where one guy is coming into his fighting prime and the other guy is on the way out. If Gastelum can recreate his younger self he can definitely make this a tough one for Pyfer to win. But I just don’t see him having enough to deal with the power and physicality of his younger foe. I respect Gastelum so I will say he toughs it out and doesn’t get finished, but I expect him to lose rather handily on the judges score cards. (Prediction: Pyfer)

Consensus: 3-0 Pyfer

UFC Women’s Bantamweight Title: Julianna Pena vs. Kayla Harrison

Pranav Pandey: This fight feels genuinely tough for me to call. Peña will undoubtedly come into this matchup riding the wave of confidence that comes with being the reigning champion, and I get the sense she’s a bit more polished across the board when it comes to all-around MMA skills. But Peña also has a weak spot in her takedown defense—an area where former Olympian Kayla Harrison is poised to exploit her advantage. Still, I believe it’s never that straightforward with the gritty “Venezuelan Vixen,” who fights with relentless heart and refuses to back down.

On the other hand, Harrison showed some vulnerability in striking during her last bout against Ketlen Vieira, yet she weathered the storm with composure. If she keeps her grappling sharp and capitalizes on Peña’s takedown defense, I believe Harrison will drag the champ into deep waters where she thrives and ultimately emerge victorious. (Prediction: Harrison)

Thomas Albano: I have been following Kayla Harrison since she won her second Olympic gold medal in 2016 – and then transitioned into the sport. She dominated the PFL scene, becoming a two-time champion and fell just short of three titles (and Larissa Pacheco is not a loss to be ashamed of). Of course, there were questions on how she’d handle the step up in competition at the UFC level – and I think it’s safe to say, after her finish of Holly Holm and her dominant decision over Ketlen Vieira, Harrison was more than delivered.

It was cool to see Julianna Pena re-capture the UFC women’s bantamweight title at UFC 307, but not everyone was happy with her receiving the nod over Raquel Pennington. I was uncertain, too. And while Pena has shown some power, I don’t think she’s going to be any match for Harrison’s judo expertise and grappling abilities. I’m also curious how the size battle will go here (Pena has a three-inch reach advantage, but Harrison has the height edge and has competed in a heavier weight class previously). Like the oddsmakers feel, I expect to hear “and new” in the co-main event of the evening. (Prediction: Harrison)

Ryan Jarrell: According to the odds, we should have a new champion when this title fight concludes. I am very interested to see how the challengers cardio holds up if Pena is able to hang in there and deliver some punishment of her own in the early rounds. At the end of the day, I do expect Kayla’s wrestling and control time to be the difference in this one. I’m not terribly confident she will finish the champion, but I do expect her to win via decision because of her elite grappling skill set. (Prediction: Harrison)

Consensus: 3-0 Harrison

UFC Bantamweight Title: Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O’Malley

Pranav Pandey: Here we go again with the rematch. In their first meeting, Dvalishvili put on a masterclass in pressure fighting. It honestly felt like he had O’Malley tactically trapped from the opening bell. The Georgian’s breakneck pace and chain-wrestling blitz were overwhelming, and “Suga” looked like he had no escape route. However, I think this time around, things could look drastically different. O’Malley has likely overhauled his strategy. What has me particularly curious is the influence of Demetrious Johnson in his camp. I’m genuinely eager to see what kind of tools “Mighty Mouse” might’ve passed down, because if O’Malley shows up as a more complete, defensively sound version of himself, we might just get a tactical chess match instead of a one-sided beating.

But “The Machine” has finely tuned his blend of striking and grappling into a weapon that has repeatedly proven his dominance. I struggle to imagine him finding himself in any real trouble during this fight. Sure, “Suga” carries the knockout threat; there’s no denying that. However, I firmly believe Dvalishvili’s ironclad chin and unyielding toughness will see him through any storm. I fully expect him to weather every challenge effortlessly and sail smoothly to yet another dominant win. (Prediction: Dvalishvili)

Thomas Albano: Merab Dvalishvili has been someone who has seemed unstoppable in the division. His relentless pressure and his wrestling expertise have led him to plenty of success before, and it led to him fulfilling his potential and becoming champion the first time he met Sean O’Malley in the Octagon. I’m one of those who isn’t a fan that O’Malley is receiving a rematch in his first fight since while Dvalishvili already defended the belt four months ago.

On one hand, you could look at that circumstance and say O’Malley’s time off to develop and better prepare, combined with Dvalishvili needing to come from behind to retain against Umar Nurmagomedov may point to O’Malley recapturing the title. After all, Aljamain Sterling only defended the title three months before he faced O’Malley and lost. That said, O’Malley’s grappling hasn’t been his greatest asset, and I need to see true improvement out of him – and we haven’t had that opportunity yet. And when you manage to put on the performance Dvalishvili did against someone in the great Nurmagomedov family, my confidence is fully behind “The Machine” in this one. (Prediction: Dvalishvili)

Ryan Jarrell: After I watched Suga put away Aljamain Sterling, I wondered if anyone could stop the Suga Show at 135 pounds. Enter a machine, who literally never stops. Merab will get hit and O’Malley will have the chances he hopes to clip the Champion and potentially get a finish. But until I see it actually happen, I cannot pick against Merab. His output picks up as the fight goes deeper and his opponents have no chance but to wilt to his pressure. I don’t think O’Malley will have the answers in this rematch and I expect a very similar visual to the first go round. (Prediction: Dvalishvili)

Consensus: 3-0 Dvalishvili

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That’ll do it for our UFC 316 staff picks! What do you think? Do your predictions look similar? Let us know in the comments section!

Also, you can check out the full UFC 316 card below.

Main Card:

• Bantamweight Championship: Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O’Malley
• Women’s Bantamweight Championship: Julianna Pena vs. Kayla Harrison
• Middleweight: Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer
• Bantamweight: Mario Bautista vs. Patchy Mix
• Welterweight: Vicente Luque vs. Kevin Holland

Preliminary Card:

• Flyweight: Bruno Gustavo da Silva vs. Joshua Van
• Light Heavyweight: Azamat Murzakanov vs. Brendson Ribeiro
• Heavyweight: Serghei Spivac vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta
• Welterweight: Khaos Williams vs. Andreas Gustafsson

Early Preliminary Card:

• Women’s Flyweight: Ariane da Silva vs. Wang Cong
• Featherweight: Jeka Saragih vs. Yoo Joo-sang
• Lightweight: Quillan Salkilld vs. Yanal Ashmouz
• Lightweight: MarQuel Mederos vs. Mark Choinski

UFC 315 is in the books, meaning attention will soon turn to the mixed martial arts leader’s next pay-per-view offering, UFC 316 in Newark, New Jersey.

The promotion was in Montreal last week, where the Bell Centre played host to a number of intriguing matchups for its fifth numbered event of the year. Of note were headline wins for Jack Della Maddalena and Valentina Shevchenko, as well as important victories for Aiemann Zahabi, Natália Silva and Benoît Saint Denis.

While the aftermath of the May 10 card is currently the talk of the town, it won’t be long until focus sways to the next PPV, and from the welterweight title picture to the bantamweight championship conversation.

TWEET

At UFC 316, set for the Prudential Center on June 7, Merab Dvalishvili will defend the UFC bantamweight championship against the very man he took the belt from, “Sugar” Sean O’Malley. After Dvalishvili won a decision to claim the gold when these two first met at Noche UFC 2 in September, he will look to show the win was not a mistake. O’Malley, who hasn’t fought since the loss, will be eyeing revenge and hoping to reclaim the gold.

Stakes will also be high in the co-headliner, as two-time women’s bantamweight champion Julianna Peña looks to make her first defense since winning it back at the expense of Raquel Pennington in 2024. She will be doing battle with Kayla Harrison, who will be looking to claim the gold and fulfill the hype set for her after coming over to the UFC from the PFL in January 2024.

Gastelum, Vera, Luque Set The Stage For Title Headliners At UFC 315

Before Dvalishvili and Peña make the walk to put their championships on the line, a number of notable names will take to the Octagon looking to make the most of their position on the major UFC 316 card.

That includes former interim middleweight title challenger Kelvin Gastelum. Weeks before he and Israel Adesanya enter the UFC Hall of Fame for their memorable UFC 236 clash, Gastelum will face the up-and-coming Joe Pyfer. Gastelum will look to make it two wins in a row and three wins in his last four, while Pyfer will look to continue his rising momentum in his first fight since knocking out Marc-André Barriault at UFC 303.

Prior to that, another former title challenger will be in action, as Marlon “Chito” Vera is set for action against another bantamweight contender, Mario Bautista. Vera will be looking to get back to winning ways, having lost three of his last four. Last year, Vera came up short against former rival O’Malley in a 135-pound title fight and dropped a decision to Deiveson Figueiredo. Bautista, meanwhile, has won seven straight and will be fighting for the first time since his controversial UFC 307 win over Jose Aldo.

The main card is scheduled to open with a pair of exciting welterweights in Vicente Luque and Kevin Holland doing battle. Luque has won two of three, having most recently submitted Themba Gorimbo at UFC 310 in December. Holland is 2-2 in his last four, scoring a unanimous decision win over Gunnar Nelson at UFC London just a couple of months ago.

Those pairings have currently gotten the nod to feature on the main card over the likes of Johnny Walker and Bruno Silva, who are slated to feature on the prelims.

See below for the UFC 316 lineup, as it stands.

Main Card:

• Bantamweight Championship: Merab Dvalishvili (C) vs. Sean O’Malley
• Women’s Bantamweight Championship: Julianna Pena (C) vs. Kayla Harrison
• Middleweight: Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer
• Bantamweight: Marlon Vera vs. Mario Bautista
• Welterweight: Vicente Luque vs. Kevin Holland

Preliminary Card (bout order TBA):

• Flyweight: Bruno Silva vs. Joshua Van
• Women’s Flyweight: Ariane Da Silva vs. Wang Cong
• Light Heavyweight: Johnny Walker vs. Azamat Murzakanov
• Heayvweight: Serghei Spivac vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta
• Featherweight: Jeka Saragih vs. Yoo Joo-sang
• Welterweight: Khaos Williams vs. Uros Medic

UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili has suggested that fans can expect things to play out differently when he runs it back with Sean O’Malley.

After successfully pushing past the challenge of Umar Nurmagomedov this past January, “The Machine” will put his focus back on the man from whom he took the 135-pound gold last September.

Dvalishvili used his grappling dominance to convincingly outpoint O’Malley inside the Sphere. But when the pair renew hostilities in the main event of UFC 316 on June 7, the Georgian is seemingly looking to use other tools to have his hand raised.

During an appearance on Tuesday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, Dvalishvili outlined his intention to display more of his striking in the rematch with “Suga.”

“I’m going to take some risks and I’m going to show my striking, too. That’s what I’m thinking right now,” Merab Dvalishvili said. “Sometimes I’m a little crazy, so in some fights I’m gonna show my craziness.”

UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili disagrees with the portion of fans and pundits who have questioned the decision to grant Sean O’Malley a title rematch.

Dvalishvili and O’Malley will renew hostilities this June following their five-round contest inside the Sphere last September. On that occasion, the Georgian dominated to emerge with the 135-pound gold in his possession.

In his first fight back since, “Suga” will receive an immediate shot at redemption, battling “The Machine” in the main event of UFC 316 on June 7.

The decision to have O’Malley fight for the title instead of facing a fellow contender for the right to do so has split opinion in the MMA community.

But during an appearance on Tuesday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, Dvalishvili leapt to the defense of his rival, claiming he “deserves” the shot.

“Even though a lot of people criticize O’Malley getting the rematch, I think he deserves it,” Merab Dvalishvili said. “He made lots of excuses after the fight and I know he will make adjustments and he will change the game plan.

“It’s gonna be a totally different fight,” Dvalishvili continued. “I know he will attack me from the beginning with the body kicks and striking. I want to test my striking, too.”

Former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley is unfazed by those claiming he is undeserving of a chance to regain the title from Merab Dvalishvili.

UFC CEO Dana White revealed a number of major matchups last week, including the rematch between Dvalishvili and O’Malley for the 135-pound gold at UFC 316 in June following their five-round battle inside the Sphere last September.

The decision has appeared to split the MMA community, with some questioning why “Suga” has been granted an immediate opportunity in his return from injury given his short reign and one-sided defeat to “The Machine.”

During an appearance on Monday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, O’Malley hit back at his detractors, simply suggesting they should not watch come fight night in Newark.

“Don’t watch,” Sean O’Malley said. “Saturday night, June 7, f*cking watch your reality TV show. Don’t watch the fight.”

Sean O’Malley will soon have his shot at redemption, and he’s promised UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili that he’ll be facing an entirely different beast come fight night.

UFC CEO Dana White announced a few high-profile bouts this week, including the title rematch between Dvalishvili and O’Malley following their five-round battle inside the Sphere last September.

The decision has caused debate in the MMA community, with some questioning why “Suga” has been granted an immediate opportunity in his return from injury given his short reign and one-sided defeat to “The Machine.”

But during the latest episode of his TimboSugarShow alongside coach Tim Welch, O’Malley expressed confidence in delivering a much better performance second time around, having overcome the injury he fought through in Las Vegas seven months ago.

“Dude, I am so excited for this fight. My body, my body has not felt like this since I fought Petr Yan. Since I fought Petr, my body hasn’t felt this good since 2022. It’s 2025 now. I fought Aljo (Aljamain Sterling), I fought ‘Chito’ (Marlon Vera), I fought Merab, just dealing with little (injuries)…and I’m not saying I’m the only one. Every fighter’s dealing with something, but I haven’t felt this good.

“I’m going to be 70 percent better than I was in that first fight,” Sean O’Malley said. “I’m going to be significantly more mobile, agile, better shape. I’m gonna fight at my full potential.”