Brett OkamotoJun 8, 2025, 01:14 AM ET
- Brett Okamoto has reported on mixed martial arts and boxing at ESPN since 2010. He has covered all of the biggest events in combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names such as Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre. He was also a producer on the 30 for 30 film: "Chuck and Tito," which looked back at the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives in Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer in his spare time.
NEWARK, N.J. -- Merab Dvalishvili put one heck of a stamp on a two-fight rivalry with Sean O'Malley on Saturday night, dominating the challenger in a third-round submission victory at UFC 316 inside Prudential Center.
Dvalishvili (20-4) took the 135-pound championship from O'Malley (18-3) in a unanimous decision at UFC Noche in September, in a fight that was competitive but a clear victory for him. The rematch Saturday was not close. Dvalishvili pushed O'Malley backward and outlanded him on the feet through two rounds, then submitted him via D'Arce choke at 4:42 of the third.
The victory marked Dvalishvili's 13th in a row, tied for the fourth-longest streak in UFC history. It tied him for the fourth-most wins in bantamweight history at 12.
"I just work every day and repeat," Dvalishvili said. "Training is number one for me. Afterwards, I can hang out, enjoy with friends, go to church, look for a wife, whatever."
O'Malley, who underwent hip surgery and made several significant life changes ahead of the rematch, accepted the loss with grace -- which is all he really could do.
Dvalishvili looked unstoppable from the start. According to UFC Stats he outlanded O'Malley 135-34 in total strikes. He converted five of 12 takedowns and accumulated over six minutes of control time.
Dvalishvili recorded his third title defense. The second came against Umar Nurmagomedov, cousin of Khabib Nurmagomedov, in January. He is expected to face No. 1 contender Cory Sandhagen next.
