Merab Dvalishvili submitted Sean O’Malley because the Georgian defended his Bantamweight title with a dominant show at UFC 316.

‘The Machine’ is aptly nicknamed as his best-in-class cardio means he’s an irrepressible drive contained in the ring, virtually completely preventing on the entrance foot, shifting ahead and chasing his opponent down – and that’s what he did on the Prudential Heart in New Jersey on Saturday night time, in entrance of a crowd that included US President Donald Trump and retired heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson.

O’Malley, whom he dethroned as champion within the pair’s final assembly at UFC 306, improved vastly since his defeat at The Sphere. Though he took the struggle the gap in Las Vegas, he was comprehensively outclassed.

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O’Malley realised after the loss to really be at his finest as a fighter he wanted to make tough life-style sacrifices to spherical himself into peak kind.

The 30-year-old contender stop smoking amongst different unhealthy habits and in addition ditched his trademark dyed hair. No extra dazzling colors that turned his locks into rainbows or cotton sweet tops. O’Malley sported brown, braided hair for the struggle – leaving his followers to put on shiny afro wigs in his honour.

This time, he was much more sprightly in his motion, regardless of being on the again foot just about all through. Dvalishvili gained the hanging exchanges on the ft and managed to get his opponent onto the canvas 5 occasions with takedowns, which is the place he does his finest work.

And within the third spherical, after being comprehensively worn down, O’Malley left himself open to the north-south choke and Dvalishvili seized the chance to faucet him out and retain his 135-pound belt.

It strikes the 34-year-old to 20-4 as he picked up a thirteenth straight MMA victory, tied for the fourth longest streak in UFC historical past.

Harrison earns likelihood to struggle Nunes as legend set for UFC return

Within the co-main occasion, Kayla Harrison made girls’s bantamweight champion Julianna Peña faucet with 5 seconds left within the second spherical. And now, after taking simply three UFC fights to grow to be a champion, she is going to face Amanda Nunes, in her first title defence.

Nunes, who retired in 2023 and is extensively thought of to be the best girls’s UFC fighter of all time, stated forward of the struggle she would return to the cage to struggle the winner and former Olympic judo champion Harrison earned the chance with a dominant hat-trick of victories to start her profession.

The 34-year-old was a two-time $1m prize champion within the Skilled Fighters League light-weight championship division earlier than she moved on to UFC final 12 months. She gained her first two UFC bouts and her general MMA file – now a massively spectacular 19-1 – coupled together with her fame has made her an instantaneous contender for a title shot.

“I positively wish to struggle Amanda. She’s the best of all time,” Harrison stated. “I wish to be the best of all time.”

Harrison known as out Nunes to enter the ring and after some encouragement from announcer Joe Rogan for safety to open the cage door, she walked in and the 2 went face-to-face. Nunes, who is about for induction this summer season into the UFC Corridor of Fame, stated she would certainly struggle Harrison sooner or later for the 135-pound belt. The gang went wild as the 2 engaged in a short staredown.

“We’ll convey girls’s MMA to an entire new stage,” Harrison added.

Elsewhere on the cardboard, UFC fighter Kevin Holland choked out Vicente Luque and Joe Pyfer defeated Kelvin Gastelum in a middleweight bout by unanimous determination.