Merab Dvalishvili proved too much for Sean O’Malley to handle once again in the UFC 316 main event.
Dvalishvili (20-4 MMA, 13-2 UFC) retained his bantamweight title by defeating O’Malley (18-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) in the third round with a submission to win the rematch and record his second title defense.
Check below for the top X (formerly Twitter) reactions to Dvalishvili’s title defense at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.:
The MAIN EVENT of #UFC316 is here!
Who wins: Merab Dvalishvili or Sean O’Malley?
Full coverage: https://t.co/Ip8FmNyPATpic.twitter.com/m7RK3P4FMp
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) June 8, 2025
The fence in the stands came down after Merab Dvalishvili walked out at #UFC316. Shades of Mike Malott in Vancouver but all look OK, thankfully.
— Mike Bohn (@MikeBohn) June 8, 2025
Let’s go Sugar . pic.twitter.com/OHQbFSrByK
— Themba Gorimbo (@TheAnswerMMA) June 8, 2025
#AndNew again? Is Sean O’Malley winning? #UFC316
— GILBERT BURNS DURINHO (@GilbertDurinho) June 8, 2025
Let’s go machineeeeeee @MerabDvalishvil 🦾🦾🦾
— Billy Quarantillo (@BillyQMMA) June 8, 2025
Suga 🍭 vs Merab 🇬🇪 #UFC316
— Chris “El Guapo” Gutierrez (@CGutierrezMMA) June 8, 2025
O’Malley looks very locked in. I like this side of him. #UFC316
— Alan Jouban (@AlanJouban) June 8, 2025
Some nice single shots by O’Malley but Merab turning up the machine and winning exchanges. #UFC316
— Korean John (@KoreanJohn_) June 8, 2025
Merab should keep him at the fence and just wear him out.
— Anton Tabuena (@antontabuena) June 8, 2025
10-9 Dvalishvili. Fun round. His pace remains relentless #UFC316
— Nolan King (@mma_kings) June 8, 2025
10-9 Merab. O’Malley can’t run forever. He needs to take risks sooner rather than later #UFC316
— Henry Cejudo (@HenryCejudo) June 8, 2025
O’Malley didn’t deserve this title shot at all. But it’s actually a fascinating fight to watch – Sugar Sean scurrying around the ring like a rat and Merab pursuing like a mad man trying to smother and kill the rat #UFC316
— Fight Ghost (@Fight_Ghost) June 8, 2025
O’Malley’s defense has been halfway decent thus far, but he’s struggling to find much offense #UFC316
— Nolan King (@mma_kings) June 8, 2025
2-0 Merab but good showing defensively from O’Malley. Defense isn’t gonna win him the fight though.
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) June 8, 2025
I like that corner advice that John Wood gave Merab in regards to going to the body after getups/off breaks #UFC316
— Dan Tom (@DanTomMMA) June 8, 2025
As much as O’Malley has improved his takedown defence, you get the feeling that not scoring takedowns is as much a part of Merab’s game plan as scoring them is.
It’s all about wearing them down and making them fight at an unsustainable pace. Nailing it through two round here.
— Peter Carroll (@PetesyCarroll) June 8, 2025
@MerabDvalishvil is taking Sean into deep water… What’s he made of? We shall see! #UFC316
— Walt Harris (@thebigticket205) June 8, 2025
Merab doin what be does best
— Billy Quarantillo (@BillyQMMA) June 8, 2025
Impressed by Merab. It’s going to be hard for o‘’malley to handle this pressure. Don’t see merab slowing down. #ufc316
— Dan Henderson (@danhendo) June 8, 2025
Merab taps O’Malley in Round 3! #UFC316#AndStill, The Machine.
— Matthew Wells (@MrMWells) June 8, 2025
Merab Dvalishvili is an animal!!! 👏🏻👏🏻 #UFC316
— Megan Anderson (@MeganAnderson) June 8, 2025
Merab looked better than ever! Boxing and submission. #UFC316
— Alan Jouban (@AlanJouban) June 8, 2025
Merab submits Suga in the third.
And still.
The guy never stops. A real machine out there.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) June 8, 2025
Sean O’Malley to the back of the line. He might never be UFC champion ever again.
Merab is an animal. Gonna be champ for a long time. #UFC316
— Simon Samano (@SJSamano) June 8, 2025
#AndStill: Merab Dvalishvili #UFC316pic.twitter.com/nylqFu6MFJ
— Nolan King (@mma_kings) June 8, 2025
Dominance from Merab. O’Malley was never in that fight and never belonged in that fight.
Punctuation for both the champion and for those that said this rematch was an un-needed one. Love to see it. #UFC316
— Dan Tom (@DanTomMMA) June 8, 2025
Merab Dvalishvili puts away Sean O’Malley with a submission in the rematch. Good stuff for him, and a tough moment for O’Malley who has a pretty much worst-case scenario and is in the position he feared with back-to-back defeats to Merab.
— Mike Bohn (@MikeBohn) June 8, 2025
Merab is amazing 👏🏽 #UFC316
— Cub Swanson (@CubSwanson) June 8, 2025
I do want to see Cory fight for the title next but man at the same time I need to see that O’Malley vs sandhagen
— Terrance McKinney (@twrecks155) June 8, 2025
Great win Merab! Honestly this wasn’t a fight, but straight bullying #ufc316
— Manel Kape (@ManelKape) June 8, 2025
Unreal performance from @MerabDvalishvil best ever at 135 on a generational run 🔥
— Billy Quarantillo (@BillyQMMA) June 8, 2025
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC 316: Fighters react to Merab Dvalishvili’s dominant title defense
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