Before rematch for belt, UFC champion says rival is 'cute' and 'funny'

Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O'Malley in the hot tub. Photo: Reproduction Instagram

Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O'Malley first met at UFC 306, in September of last year. Before the fight that ended with the Georgian winning the bantamweight belt (up to 61,2 kg) from the American by unanimous decision, both exchanged a ton of pre-fight trash talk.

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But it seems that the exchange of barbs is in the past. With the rematch for the title scheduled for UFC 316, which is scheduled to take place on June 7, the two fighters have been much more cordial than before their first meeting.

Shortly after spending some time with O'Malley in a hot tub, Dvalishvili appeared on journalist Ariel Helwani's show, where he had some surprising praise for his opponent.

“That was so cool. All positive. I’ve always liked the guy. I don’t follow a lot of 61,2-pound fighters on Instagram, but I follow him. He’s funny, he’s cute and he’s a good fighter too,” Dvalishvili said. (see below)

Merab Dvalishvili says he likes Sean O'Malley and thinks he's cute

“He's funny, he's cute, and he's a good fighter too.”

@arielhelwani #UFC316pic.twitter.com/iLYDS8iu8X

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) April 8, 2025

Merab Dvalishvili has made one title defense since winning the belt from Sean O'Malley last year. In January at UFC 311, the Georgian gave the Umar Nurmagomedov his first professional loss by unanimous decision.

O'Malley has not stepped foot in the Octagon since losing the gold to Merab. The American was angered by criticism from some fans, who think the rematch is pointless, and told them to simply 'not watch'.