Sean O'Malley did everything he could to prepare for the rematch with Merab Dvalishvili.
He underwent surgery to repair his ailing hip, quit smoking marijuana, disconnected from social media and in general adopted an more focused mindset. Ultimately, it wasn’t enough. While “Suga” looked improved in the early going, Dvalishvili gradually asserted himself en route to a third-round submission victory in the UFC 316 headliner.
A few days removed from that defeat, O’Malley could do little more than tip his cap to his Georgian rival.
“He felt strong last time but this time he felt just freakishly strong,” O’Malley said on his YouTube channel.