The last UFC fighter to hand Merab Dvalishvili a loss in the Octagon shared a hilarious response to his UFC 316 performance.
UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili entered the Octagon on Saturday night at UFC 316 as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world. After handing Sean O’Malley a second-straight defeat, this time in more dominant fashion, Dvalishvili’s star power is on the path to new heights.
Dvalishvili didn’t need five full rounds this time around to defeat O’Malley in their UFC 316 rematch. After a back-and-forth first two rounds of the fight, Dvalishvili ramped up the pressure in Round 3, getting a big takedown and securing a nasty north-south choke to retain his title.
Dvalishvili’s performance continues to be the talk of MMA circles in the hours after UFC 316. One of Dvalishvili’s former foes shared a hilarious reaction to his performance.
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Ricky Simon nods to Israel Adesanya/Alex Pereira rivalry in hilarious reaction to Merab Dvalishvili’s win
In Dvalishvili’s second UFC Octagon appearance, he faced off with Ricky Simon in April 2018. Dvalishvili was looking to get back in the win column after a controversial split decision loss to Frankie Saenz in his UFC debut in December 2017.
Dvalishvili and Simon treated fight fans to a firefight inside the Octagon at UFC Atlantic City. But controversy enshrouded the bout as the referee ruled the fight a buzzer-beating submission win for Simon by guillotine, despite Dvalishvili never tapping and claiming he never went unconscious.
The Simon fight ended up being Dvalishvili’s most-recent defeat, as he’s accumulated 13-straight wins since dropping his first two UFC appearances. Simon most recently earned a wild knockout win at UFC Seattle earlier this year.
Israel Adesanya is one of the lone UFC fighters to claim defeat over superstar Alex Pereira. After watching Dvalishvili’s performance at UFC 316, Simon expressed similar sentiment, albeit in a hilarious post to X.
Simon’s tweet drew strong reactions on social media, after Dvalishvili showcased his dominance at UFC 316. Regardless of how the rest of Dvalishvili’s career plays out, Simon can claim victory over an all-time great.
Sean O’Malley broke his social media silence after UFC 316 rematch loss
After suffering his second loss to Dvalishvili in nine months, O’Malley took to social media to address his following.
A brief post-fight interview with Joe Rogan didn’t sufficiently express O’Malley’s reaction to the loss at UFC 316. In a recent Instagram post, O’Malley apologized for ‘not getting the job done’ as he ponders his fighting future.
O’Malley’s coach, Tim Welch, teased a future move to featherweight in the lead-up to UFC 316. Welch claimed O’Malley’s weight cuts to bantamweight are becoming increasingly more difficult as he ages, a common trend amongst top-level UFC fighters.
O’Malley hasn’t fought at featherweight in his career, but his large frame for 135 lbs hints at a seamless move to the 145 lb division. In the meantime, O’Malley is still dealing with suffering from the jaws of defeat in the first losing streak of his career.
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