Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling wasn’t surprised that Sean O’Malley to an immediate rematch against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 316 on June 7.
O’Malley lost his UFC bantamweight title to Dvalishvili last September at UFC 306 at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Since then, O’Malley has yet to fight against, while Dvalishvili beat Umar Nurmagomedov to defend his belt for the first time.
Although many thought Sean O’Malley would need to win another fight to get a title shot, Aljamain Sterling wasn’t surprised that ‘Suga’ got the rematch.
Honest answer, the UFC’s gonna do what’s best for the business and the brand. Would I have liked an immediate rematch due to the circumstances going into the first fight? Absolutely. But I understand the business model better than most, and O’Malley is a really exciting guy that… https://t.co/IaqaMKweAS
— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) April 2, 2025
“Honest answer, the UFC’s gonna do what’s best for the business and the brand. Would I have liked an immediate rematch due to the circumstances going into the first fight? Absolutely. But I understand the business model better than most, and O’Malley is a really exciting guy that has beaten many top-five contenders. So I think he rightfully deserves it after all the ranked names he has beaten,” Sterling wrote on X.
As Aljamain Sterling says, he isn’t surprised Sean O’Malley got an immediate rematch against Merab Dvalishvili. He was a champion who defended his belt, as well as being a big name. But Sterling remains confident that Dvalishvili will get his hand raised against O’Malley again.
