Heading into the main event of UFC 316, Sean O’Malley seems a changed man. Why? Well, it looks like he has shifted his temperament from a trash-talking, all-guns-blazing fighter to one that is calm and composed, grateful for the opportunity in front of him. ‘Suga’ has been talking about preparing for fights, revealing he has left hobbies like smoking, gaming, and mas*****tion behind—showing a difference in his mental approach this time around in comparison to their first encounter. And what is the source of this change? Losing the way he did to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306.
The change in attitude and lifestyle may (or may not) benefit him against the UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili, but one thing Dvalishvili made crystal clear is that he doesn’t care about Sean O’Malley’s new-found approach. While talking on his podcast, Sean O’Malley praised Dvalishvili, even thanking the man who took his title away as being the reason behind this massive change. ‘The Machine’, however, responded hilariously, saying he wants to keep the fire and the animosity alive.
Dvalishvili uploaded a clip from The Suga Show on his handle, reacting to O’Malley talking about the changes incorporated in his life to prepare for the bantamweight title rematch. In the video, the former bantamweight champion said, “I’ll forever be grateful for Merab in that sense that, he beat me, made me become better—not just fighter, a better person. And like, losing’s a weird thing.”
And Merab Dvalishvili’s response to this? He put it in the caption of the clip he uploaded, saying, “Cut it out MF—rs – go back to talking sh-t. I need to be mad about you again ”. We all know the fire Dvalishvili brings to the Octagon if he feels disrespected by his opponents.
Fair enough. You can’t expect a world champion to go soft on his opponent, just because the latter said some nice things about him. On the other hand, it’s really commendable for Sean O’Malley to say what he said about Merab Dvalishvili, to even call him a “nice guy.” But nice guy or not, ‘The Machine’ is not without his antics—some of which might actually have a hand in him winning fights.
Do Merab Dvalishvili’s antics give him advantages in his fights?
Widely appreciated by the MMA community for his humorous Instagram feed, Merab has also built himself a reputation for causing chaos for his opponents through his words or actions. During the buildup for UFC 306, Dvalishvili and O’Malley left no crumbs going off on each other in a verbal war. Following his victory at UFC 306, Dvalishvili absolutely bullied Umar throughout in the last two rounds of their fight at UFC 311, once again, motivated by their trash-talk before the fight.
The way Dvalishvili man-handled ‘Young Eagle’ in the Octagon left a bad impression on Umar Nurmagomedov and legendary coach, Javier Mendez. He discussed Umar’s loss to Dvalishvili on the Javier and Mo Show saying: “I told Umar, the reason why you didn’t win in the fifth round is because he [Merab] showboated his way to winning that—like he acted like the victor when you were tired—and that’s why I feel he basically took it from you, because you let him. When it comes to presence, he [Merab] definitely got that.” The bantamweight champion, knows his strengths and knows how best to use them.
Whether Sean O’Malley chooses to indulge in a war of words or not, Dvalishvili will keep the challenger on his toes. He will keep trying to get inside his head, win the mental battle, and proceed to demolish his opponent. And what should Sean O’Malley do? Well, first he shouldn’t get emotional. Second, he needs to not let Merab Dvalishvili suffocate him in the Octagon. Easier said than done? Definitely.
What do you think? Will Sean O’Malley’s new-found approach help him find the victory at UFC 306? Do let us know what you think in the comments down below.
The post Sean O’Malley’s Attempts at Truce Fail Miserably as Merab Dvalishvili Makes Ugly Intentions For Rematch Clear appeared first on EssentiallySports.
