When Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley first met inside the Octagon at UFC 306, the build-up was fueled by trash talk and a battle of egos. Once the cage door closed, it was Dvalishvili who imposed his will. With relentless pressure and dominant wrestling, he earned a unanimous decision win and walked away with the UFC bantamweight title. Now, as the two gear up for a highly anticipated rematch at UFC 316, the tone has shifted. Sean O’Malley has pointed out that he will return a much better fighter at  UFC 316, stating, “I’m going to be 70 percent better than I was in that first fight.” 

While he might be focused on improving, O’Malley has also found a unique way of getting under the skin of the champion. Just a few days back, ‘The Machine’ shared a video where he was seen sparring with rising prospect Nasir Davis. His eye-catching hairstyle drew a clear comparison to Sean O’Malley’s signature look. Davis also mimicked ‘Suga’s footwork and movement, which caught the attention of the O’Malley camp.

However, the former champion wasn’t quite impressed with the whole stunt, and while speaking on Tim Welch’s channel on YouTube, shared his honest opinion on the development. He said, “Tim showed me this video of this kid Merab’s sparring with, and I thought it was a comedy. And then they were serious. It wasn’t, but it was a little excessive. It was. It was funny.”  

Well, Sean O’Malley has now found a way to play some mind games before their clash. Full Send MMA took to their Instagram account to share a video of the former champion. The caption in the post read, “Suga Sean O’Malley found the cheat code to takedown defense in the UFC ahead of his UFC 316 rematch with UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili”. 

In the video, O’Malley can be seen walking out of his car wearing his gloves with a toy gun in his hand. By the looks of it, ‘Suga’ was throwing some combinations on the punching bag. However, the catchy part is that he shows his toy gun to stop the champion from ‘shooting’ his takedowns.

In their last fight, O’Malley was not at a hundred percent because of his hip injury. However, this time he is walking into the fight after completely recovering from the injury. And fans can hope for the former champion to defend those takedowns, but not in the way he showed in the video. This is not the first time that the 30-year-old has posted such kind of videos. ‘Suga’ always keeps his fans engaged and finds a way to keep them engaged. However, it’s not always that the fans like what he posts. This is exactly the case that has happened this time around.

Fans share their honest opinion on Sean O’Malley’s latest online video before UFC 316

Sean O’Malley’s social media presence is a blend of humor, lifestyle, and fight culture. He often shares glimpses into his daily life—from sparring sessions and diet routines to gaming and chilling with his pet dogs. His YouTube channel and podcast, The Timbo Sugar Show, co-hosted with longtime friend and coach Tim Welch, offers a more personal look into his world. However, there are times when he takes things a bit too far, and this time, the fans reminded him of that.

One user highlighted what many see as O’Malley’s biggest weakness: his wrestling defense. Despite any improvements he might show, one fan doubts he’ll be able to stop Merab’s relentless takedowns and commented, “Even so, he won’t be able to stop the takedowns of Merab” Another user highlighted a playful jab referencing rapper 50 Cent’s famous line. His comment mocked O’Malley’s flashy style and persona, suggesting he’s more about showbiz than fight preparation, and commented, “Bro hired 50 Cent as his cornerman — ‘Get the strap'”

One fan criticized O’Malley’s frequent social media activity. He implied that he’s more focused on building his brand than preparing for the rematch and predicted another loss after commenting, “Back doing social media just in time to lose again to Merab I see” One user believes O’Malley’s fate is sealed and that Merab will once again dominate him with a blunt prediction and commented, “Gonna be the same outcome”  One user referred to the judges’ scorecards and suggested that ‘The Machine’ will win every round convincingly, just like in their first meeting, “Can’t wait for him to get 50-45’d again

One user had a sarcastic take on O’Malley’s lifestyle, mocking his flashy image and suggesting he’s not training seriously, and commented, “Bro trains at a nightclub” No matter what ‘Suga’ does, one fan believes Merab will stick to his bread and butter—takedowns, over and over again and commented, “Merab would still shoot the takedown”

Together, these comments paint a picture of a fanbase that sees Sean O’Malley outmatched when it comes to Merab’s grappling-heavy approach. There’s no doubt that the former champion will have to bring his best game when he takes on the champion. Not only does he have to use his boxing skills, but he also needs to showcase his takedown defense. But the big thing is, can he win back his belt at UFC 316? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.