While not everyone was thrilled to see Sean O'Malley get an immediate title shot after losing the belt last September, Merab Dvalishvili believes a rematch was the best possible option.
“No, I wasn’t surprised because right now, Sean is the clear contender,” Dvalishvili told Stake. “Cory Sandhagen just won, [Petr] Yan maybe, but I already beat him. The UFC gave me this decision, and I think Sean will make some adjustments and this will be a really tough fight. I respect him a lot, but I am ready to do my job.