UFC Bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili is not going to rest after fighting against Sean O'Malley for the second time.
Dvalishvili and O'Malley will head UFC 316 in Newark nine months after their first confrontation in the atmosphere.
In 2024 'The Machine' was able to dismiss 'sugar' from the 135 pound throne by means of unanimous decision after five rounds of action. Dvalishvili O'Malley wants to finish second time.
If the Georgian champion escapes as undamaged when he hopes on 7 June, he plans to quickly return for a first collision with one of the top names of the Bantam weight division.
Merab Dvalishvili open for a quick passage to look at Cory Sandhagen after UFC 316
During a recent media scrum that an example of his rapidly approaching second UFC Bantamweight defense, Dvalishvili briefly looked ahead at what could wait after the rematch of O'Malley.
Many identified Petr Yan as a more logical opponent for 'The Machine' after the victory of the champion at Umar Nurmagomedov. But Dvalishvili does not even expect the Russian to be the next.
Now that Yan is fighting the ranking against O'Malley's teammate Marcus Mcghee in July, DvalishVili after UFC 316 hopes to make a quick change to take on the challenge of Cory Sandhagen for the first time.
“I want to be busy,” said Dvalishhvili. “I will be happy if I will fight twice more this year [after UFC 316].
“It seems that Cory Sandhagen is ready for me. We never fought against each other. He is a great competition. He has fought against everyone. He is a good hunter, we all know it.
'I don't mind taking a quick change to fight [Sandhagen] And then fight another [time] At the end of this year, either in New York or here, my new house in Las Vegas. “
Merab Dvalishvili admitted a fight for motivation prior to Sean O'Malley Rematch
Before he may focus his sights on Sandhagen, DvalishVili must first repeat his performance from September 2024 when he goes back with O'Malley in the Prudential Center.
That is perhaps easier said than done, both because of the possible improvements of O'Malley and the apparent struggle of Dvalishvili for motivation.
The Georgian striking recently admitted that building hunger to the upcoming Rematch was difficult, given his success in the past about 'Sugar'.
“In my professional career this is my first rematch,” said Dvalishvili during an interview with Michael Bisping. “In Georgia I fight pro -rules, but those fights are not on my official record.
“So I had a rematch at the start of my career before. And that does not count because I was so new in the game. Now it is the first rematch of my professional career. To be honest with you, I have already beaten him and it is difficult to be 100 percent motivated, you know?”
Dvalishvili will hope that he completely overcome that first obstacle before UFC 316, because he is looking for a victory that will extend his Bantamweight regime beyond the length of O'Malley's.