Sean O’Malley’s journey to UFC superstardom began with a one-shot stoppage in 2017.
The slick striker will bid to become a two-time bantamweight champion at UFC 316 on June 7.
Merab Dvalishvili dethroned ‘Suga’ with ease when they first fought at UFC 306 last September.
Now they’ll rematch in Sean O’Malley‘s first fight back since dropping his title to ‘The Machine’.
How Sean O’Malley earned his Contenders Series shot
None of O’Malley’s success would have been possible without epic performances on the regional scene.
The most impressive of them all came against 9-1 fighter David Nuzzo at LFA 11 in May 2017.
O’Malley dropped his opponent four times during a dominant first-round knockout victory.
The fight ended when he landed a spinning back kick on Nuzzo’s jaw just 135 seconds into round one.
Next time out, O’Malley was given the chance to impress Dana White on the Contender Series.
Rap legend Snoop Dogg went crazy during his bizarre commentary gig for O’Malley’s eighth professional fight, which saw him score another highlight reel knockout to earn a contract from the UFC boss.
Sean O’Malley reacts to Merab Dvalishvili UFC 316 game plan
Merab Dvalishvili says his plan is to strike with and ‘knock out’ Sean O’Malley at UFC 316
The UFC bantamweight champion has used his elite-level wrestling skills to reach the top of MMA.
However, Dvalishvili wants to prove a point by going toe-to-toe with one of the UFC’s best boxers.
“He’s always looking for a finish,” the Georgian said about O’Malley on the UFC 316 Countdown show.
“He wants to knock you out. I’m just gonna strike and knock him out.”
O’Malley was shocked to learn about Dvalishvili’s new game plan for their second fight.
He responded: “This fight, he said, ‘I’m gonna prove how crazy I am. I’m gonna box with him’.
“If that’s his game plan, that would be stupid.”