It seems like training with Israel Adesanya has been in Sean O’Malley’s best interest. Of course, the former bantamweight champion is considered one of the slickest strikers in the sport. Remember him dispatching Aljamain Sterling with ease? Clinical in and out! However, after defending his belt once, he lost it to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306. Not only did ‘The Machine’ defeat ‘Suga’, but he also made sure to humiliate him inside the Octagon. Kissing him on the back, leaving the clinch with just seconds for the bell to ring, and taunting Tim Welch while fighting, all these acts showed that Dvalishvili was pretty well prepared.
But now, as the fighting world eyes UFC 316 for the rematch between O’Malley and Dvalishvili, ‘Suga’ certainly needs to up his game. And that’s where the former 2-time middleweight champion came swooping in. We know how strong ‘The Last Stylebender’ was during his prime. Dominating the Octagon like Neo from ‘The Matrix’ franchise seemed to come easily for Adesanya. After all, he had a history with kickboxing and was the only one to knock Alex Pereira out cold in the middleweight division. And training with such an aspect opened up gates that seemed shut for O’Malley.
Well, that reflected on Suga’s coach, Tim Welch’s recent Instagram Story update. He shared a visual of the former bantamweight champion shadowboxing with a speed that rivalled many. Needless to say, it was a subtle warning for Dvalishvili. There are just 28 days left for their clash at UFC 316, which is set to go down in New Jersey on June 7 next month, and ‘Suga’ has developed some impeccable speed. He already has knockout power and precision striking in his arsenal. No doubt, ‘The Machine’ needs to be wary of the Montana-born fighter.
Suga Sean in flow mode — shadow boxing ahead of June 7 clash with Merab.
@SugaSeanMMA pic.twitter.com/x5ut1rUExQ
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) May 10, 2025
Not too long ago, Dvalishvili appeared in Ariel Helwani’s YouTube talk show and revealed his feelings about fighting O’Malley once again. He announced, “I want to show my striking skills, too. My goal will be to stop him, TKO him or knockout. It’s going to be a great fight, and I’m excited for it.” No doubt, it was a natural move for team O’Malley to seek help from Adesanya. But Welch believed they could become Dvalishvili’s Kryptonite.
Sean O’Malley’s coach points out how he can become Merab Dvalishvili’s Kryptonite at UFC 316
Taking to his YouTube channel earlier in January 2025, Tim Welch explained that ‘The Machine’ has really caught his attention. He said, “Merab is on a streak. I tell you what gets it done decision. Five rounds versus Umar. Umar came out there and stayed mostly South Paw was throwing some sharp one-twos at the beginning and looking sharp. And Merab, fourth fifth round just started taking over.”
It was pretty clear that Dvalishvili was a humongous problem for O’Malley. However, a good training camp and the right game plan could possibly turn the tide in favor of the former bantamweight champion in the rematch. Welch continued, “He’s [Merab] a problem he’s a big problem. But I do believe that we [Team O’Malley] could be the Kryptonite to Merab with the right game plan and a good fight camp with Suga healthy I think we take him out and we will find out now won’t we?”
But that doesn’t mean O’Malley doesn’t need to drill in his takedown defenses. After all, Dvalishvili established himself as a strong wrestler in the bantamweight realm when he ragdolled Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311. Who knows, we can even see him outstrike ‘Suga’ at UFC 316. But judging from the training video that Welch shared, Dvalishvili should be on alert.
What are your thoughts on the warning move that Sean O’Malley’s teammate dropped for Dvalishvili? Do you think he can KO ‘The Machine’ at UFC 316? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.
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