Morning Report: Sean O’Malley feels bad for Merab Dvalishvili: ‘I’m gonna make him look stupid’

Sean O’Malley’s second title defense as the UFC bantamweight champion will be one to remember.

The “Sugar Show” takes center stage against surging top contender Merab Dvalishvili as the featured attraction atop the “one-time ever” Las Vegas Sphere event for Noche UFC on Sept. 14. The Mexican Independence Day special is expected to be unlike anything ever seen before as an MMA event and the slow-burning rivalry getting the main event slot is just what O’Malley hoped for.

After winning a record 10 in a row at bantamweight, Dvalishvili (17-4) finally gets his crack at UFC gold. Unfortunately for him, according to O’Malley (18-1, 1 NC), the champion isn’t going to play nice and expects an outcome that quickly leads to a promotional departure for “The Machine.”

“There’s little beefs all over the place,” O’Malley said on Believe You Me. “At the end of the day, he’s just another opponent. It’s gonna be another knockout, highlight-reel for the ‘Sugar Show.’ I feel bad for him because he’s been this close to the belt for a long time, and he’s just not quite gonna get there, and it’s because of me. So, there’s a little bit of guilt there.

“Maybe I’ll move up to ‘45, and I think he could take out the division, but to be honest, I think I’m gonna make him look stupid. I’m gonna make him look amateur, and I don’t know how much longer he will be in the UFC.”

O’Malley made his first defense in a rematch against Marlon “Chito” Vera at UFC 299 in May. The unanimous decision win was a one-sided masterclass of redemption for O’Malley, winning all five rounds on the judges’ scorecards.

Dvalishvili has majorly put on a dominant effort during his winning streak as well, just with his strong wrestling game rather than putting opponents away. He’s teased striking more than wrestling with the champion, but no one, O’Malley included, buys what he’s selling. No matter the route taken by the challenger, “Sugar” sees it ending poorly in this matchup.

“It’s kind of a lose-lose for him,” O’Malley said. “Him trying to wrestle is what’s gonna get him knocked out, but also him trying to strike with me is not really gonna go his way either. So, it’s kind of a sh*t position for Merab to be in having to fight me for the title.

“If I show up Sept. 14 at The Sphere like I did against ‘Aljo’ (Aljamain Sterling), like I did against ‘Chito,’ I beat Merab. I’m very good at showing up when the moment matters the most.”

TOP STORIES
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Onward. Igor Severino signs with Oktagon MMA after UFC release for biting opponent

Confidence. Joe Rogan defends Jake Paul fight: 58-year-old Mike Tyson ‘can still knock your head into another dimension’

LET’S WATCH
Dana White Post-Contender Series Scrum.

Young Sean.

Full fights.

O’Malley’s fantasy factory.

Arnold’s food tour.

MORNING MUSIC

Go to Twitter, use the #MorningReport hashtag, or find one of my tweets with it, and drop me a jam you’re currently really into. I’ll pick the best one alongside my daily choice and give you a shoutout! You can also share in the comments below — those are just harder to sift through sometimes!

This month’s full playlist:

SOCIAL SCROLL DOWN
Bionic Bisping.

At it again.

Smiles.

Shade.

Adjustments…

Ankalaev isn’t impressed.

Somebody really need to speak with this guy Jiri, his record is 4-2 in the UFC, many guys in the top 25 would beat him he is not this good

— Magomed Ankalaev (@AnkalaevM) August 27, 2024

Your Tuesday highlights.

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Jonathan Pearce (14-6) vs. Pat Sabatini (18-5); UFC Vegas 98, Oct. 12

Brad Katona (14-3) vs. Jean Matsumoto (15-0); UFC Vegas 99, Oct. 19

Myktybek Orolbai (13-1-1) vs. Mateusz Rębecki (19-2); UFC 308, Oct. 26

Mike Malott (10-2-1) vs. Trevin Giles (16-6); UFC Edmonton, Nov. 2

Nikita Krylov (30-9) vs. Azamat Murzakanov (14-0); UFC 309, Nov. 16

Tracy Cortez (11-2) vs. Miranda Maverick (14-5); UFC Tampa, Dec. 4

FINAL THOUGHTS
I think with O’Malley vs. Merab it’s very likely it will be one-sided in either direction. Not expecting an all-out instant classic in that one but I hope I’m wrong.

Thanks for reading!

EXIT POLL

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