Fight Results at UFC 316: Sean O'Malley Faces Limited Choices After Loss
Sean O'Malley's fight against Merab Dvalishvili for the UFC men's bantamweight title didn't go as planned. O'Malley, a formidable fighter, lost to Dvalishvili in their second bout - a common struggle for anybody going up against the champion.
Dvalishvili has been a thorn in the side of bantamweight competitors, and O'Malley proved to be no exception. Their first fight, in September 2024, ended in a decision victory for Dvalishvili, and their rematch was even more decisive.
The champ kept his title with a third-round submission.
After two losses to Dvalishvili, O'Malley's best shot at advancing his career may be a move up to featherweight. With Cory Sandhagen and Petr Yan seeming more likely to challenge for the title before O'Malley, he might prefer not to wait years for another title shot.
O'Malley, at 5-foot-11 and age 30, fits well within the 145-pound featherweight division. He could potentially beat at least ten fighters currently ranked in the featherweight division.
If he decides to move up, O'Malley could face exciting fights against contenders such as Josh Emmett, Yair Rodriguez, Jean Silva, Lerone Murphy, Aljamain Sterling (rematch), or Diego Lopes. The prospect of high-profile fights in the featherweight division is an attractive one for O'Malley.
After the loss, a disappointed but respectful O'Malley indicated that he would be taking some time off to recharge with his family. It's possible he might announce plans to move up to featherweight before his next fight.
Experts, including UFC legend Chael Sonnen and O'Malley's own coach Tim Welch, have suggested that a move to featherweight could be the best option for O'Malley. Sonnen reasoned that if O'Malley can't beat Dvalishvili for the bantamweight title, he could be frozen out of the title picture and might need to move up to 145 pounds[2]. Welch agreed that such a move is a possibility, acknowledging the challenges of remaining at bantamweight after consecutive losses to the same dominant opponent[3][4].
Stay tuned for O'Malley's next move.
UFC 316 Results
- Merab Dvalishvili defeats Sean O'Malley by submission (ninja choke) at 4:42 of Round 3 - Dvalishvili retains his title
- Kayla Harrison defeats (c) Julianna Peña by submission (kimura) at 4:55 of Round 2 - Harrison becomes the new UFC women's bantamweight champion
- Joe Pyfer defeats Kelvin Gastelum by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27, 30-27)
- Mario Bautista defeats Patchy Mix by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
- Kevin Holland defeats Vicente Luque by submission (D'arce choke) at 1:03 of Round 2
- Joshua Van defeats Bruno Silva by TKO (strikers) at 4:01 of Round 3
- Azamat Murzakanov defeats Brendson Ribeiro by TKO (strikes) at 3:25 of Round 1
- Waldo Cortes Acosta defeats Serghei Spivac by unanimous decision (30-67, 29-28, 29-28)
- Andreas Gustafsson defeats Khaos Williams by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)
- Wang Cong defeats Ariane da Silva by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- JooSang Yoo defeats Jeka Saragih by KO (left hook) at 0:28 of Round 1
- Quillan Salkilld defeats Yanal Ashmouz by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- MarQuel Mederos defeats Mark Choinski by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
UFC 316 Bonus Winners
Dvalishvili, Harrison, Kevin Holland, and JooSang Yoo
Sean O'Malley's loss at UFC 316 marks a potential shift in his career, with mixed-martial-arts experts suggesting a move up to featherweight as a possible solution. Remaining at bantamweight after two losses to Merab Dvalishvili might prove challenging. Meanwhile, Dvalishvili successfully defended his UFC title, securing a submission victory over O'Malley in their UFC 316 bout.
