Rematches are tricky when you’re the fighter that emerged victorious the first time out, as is the case with Merab Dvalishvili heading into his championship clash with “Suga” Sean O’Malley this weekend in Newark, New Jersey.
The desire and drive is never in question for the vanquished combatant — O’Malley lost his title and wants to get it back, while extracting a measure of revenge against the indefatigable titleholder, who has already posted a successful title defense this year. But for Dvalishvili, who largely dominated the contest, running it back and having to beat the former champion for a second time is a risky and challenging proposition.