Former bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley appears to be like to settle the rating with present titleholder Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 316 on June 7.
Dvalishvili (19-4) earned the UFC 135-pound championship by defeating O’Malley at UFC 306 final September. Following the struggle, O’Malley headed into surgical procedure.
“I obtained surgical procedure. It was bizarre scheduling surgical procedure for after a struggle and nonetheless making the stroll. To be sincere, within the struggle, I did not really feel prefer it was a lot of an enormous deal because it was the preparation main as much as the struggle,” O’Malley instructed Kevin Iole.
“I wasn’t in a position to do what must be completed to struggle somebody like Merab Dvalishvili, and that is wrestle. Wrestle, grapple, wrestle, grapple wrestle, grapple each day for 12 weeks. That is what I ought to have completed final struggle camp however simply wasn’t in a position to. I used to be fortunate to get one grappling session in every week final camp.”
Regardless of the constraints in preparation, O’Malley was assured that he’d defeat “The Machine” of their first assembly at UFC 306. In any case, he’d had worse coaching camps earlier than.
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“Nonetheless assured. Nonetheless walked into that cage like I used to be going to knock Merab out, however simply did not have the preparation that was wanted. However this camp I used to be ready to do this,” O’Malley stated. “I used to be in a position to what’s wanted to be completed to beat a man like that.”
“I used to be nonetheless assured that I used to be going to beat Merab. I did not enter that cage considering I will lose. I went into that struggle considering I used to be going to win,” O’Malley continued.
“I believed I used to be nonetheless going to go on the market and beat him. I fought Aljo (Aljamain Sterling) damage with the rib harm. I had a worse coaching camp for Aljo than I did for Merab. I nonetheless went on the market and knocked out Aljo… I nonetheless thought I used to be going to go on the market and put his lights out.”
Heading into the rematch, O’Malley says he is ‘extra assured than ever.’ A second loss to Dvalishvili would current a steep hill to climb for O’Malley to safe a 3rd struggle.
“I’ve misplaced zero confidence going into this struggle. I am extra assured than ever,” he stated. “I am able to go.”
