Merab Dvalishvili retains UFC title, defeats Sean O’Malley at UFC 316

In a thrilling showdown at UFC 316 in New Jersey, Georgian fighter Merab Dvalishvili defeated Sean O’Malley to retain his bantamweight championship title.

Speaking at the post-fight press conference, Dvalishvili announced that he would be taking a two-week break before returning to the US to help another Georgian UFC Champion Ilia Topuria prepare for his lightweight title bout against Brazil’s Charles Oliveira on June 29.

“I’m taking a two-week break. First, I’ll head to Georgia for a week to enjoy time with my friends, good food, and beautiful places. After that, I’ll spend a week in Azerbaijan. In two weeks, I’ll be back to help Ilia Topuria get ready for his fight. After that, the UFC can call me for my next bout,” Dvalishvili said.

The event was also attended by US President Donald Trump, adding further excitement to the already intense night.

Dvalishvili’s impressive victory brings his record in mixed martial arts to 20 wins and 4 losses. This was his 13th consecutive win, a feat that puts him alongside legends like Khabib Nurmagomedov, Demetrious Johnson, Georges St-Pierre, Max Holloway, and Jon Jones. Only Kamaru Usman, Islam Makhachev (15 consecutive wins), and Anderson Silva (16 consecutive wins) have surpassed this streak.

Dvalishvili has not lost a fight since 2018 and has defeated four former UFC champions along the way to becoming the bantamweight king.