Merab Dvalishvili Submits Sean O’Malley In Third Round At UFC 316

Merab Dvalishvili retained his bantamweight title tonight at UFC 316 by submitting Sean O’Malley in the third round of the main event.

Round One

The bantamweight title main event rematch is underway in New Jersey!

O’Malley takes the center of the Octagon to start. Spinning body kick for him. O’Malley circling on the outside now and working some feints.

Jab for O’Malley. Glancing blow from Dvalishvili. Body punch for O’Malley. Merab commanding the center of the Octagon now and trying to find a home for punches as he presses forward.

Left hand for Merab. Front kick to the body from O’Malley. Reaching left hand from Dvalishvili connects and O’Malley stumbled for a moment there close to the cage. Dvalishvili closes the distance and lands a takedown. O’Malley right back up though, with Dvalishvili still clinched up.

They break apart and O’Malley goes for a knee upstairs, but slips. He recovers back to his feet before Merab can take advantage of that though.

Dvalishvili in on another takedown attempt against the cage. He picks O’Malley up and then gradually brings him down.

Merab in O’Malley’s full guard here and starting to land a few strikes. O’Malley works back to his feet just as the round is drawing to a close.

Round Two

Kick from Merab. Spinning back kick misses from O’Malley. Body punch from the challenger. Inside leg kick from Merab. Another body punch from O’Malley, but Merab responds with a flurry punches that got through.

Right hand lands for O’Malley. Body kick for him. Left hand from the champion. Jab for O’Malley. Back to the body from him. Another jab lands, but then Merab wings a few punches in response. Merab attempts a takedown, but O’Malley gets away this time.

Body punch from O’Malley. Merab ducks in and tries for a takedown, but O’Malley shakes it off. Strike lands for O’Malley.

Right hand for Dvalishvili. A couple of right hands get through for Merab and then he works for takedown against the cage. O’Malley does well to fight that off though and then threatens with a head kick in close.

Fast right hand from O’Malley. He loads up on another punch that misses. Merab presses forward to close the distance and O’Malley misses a spinning backfist.

Round Three

Dvalishvili punches to set up a takedown attempt, but O’Malley defends it well. Merab able to close the distance again and this time hoists O’Malley up into the air and then dumps him to the canvas. Dvalishvili in O’Malley’s full guard now.

Merab working enough ground-and-pound to keep the action grounded here. Merab into half-guard and landing a few knees to the body. O’Malley rolls to his knees and gradually works back to his feet. Knee from Dvalishvili and then is able to trip ‘Suga’ back to the mat.

O’Malley back to his feet, but Merab brings him straight back down again. O’Malley rolls to his knees and Merab sinks in a guillotine choke. O’Malley tries to roll out of this, but Merab locks down the choke from north-south position. It’s in very deep and O’Mallay’s left with no option but to tap out at 4.42mins of the third round!

A rare finish for Dvalishvili then and that’s going to make it difficult for O’Malley to work his way back to the title while he still has the belt around his waist.