Merab Dvalishvili is unstoppable: he brutally subdues O’Malley and revalidates with congratulations from this UFC superstar

Merab Dvalishvili is unstoppable. And not just because of his relentless cardio—he dominates because he does whatever he wants inside the cage. With an Arce choke in the second round, the Georgian submitted Sean O’Malley in their rematch for the bantamweight title at UFC 316 in Newark, New Jersey. All of it happened under the watchful gaze of President Donald Trump, now a regular at UFC events. After his victory, Merab made his way over to shake Trump’s hand.

He wasn’t alone—he had the support of the Topuria clan. Aleksandre was in the locker room with his team, and Ilia joined via video call from Madrid, where he had just fought at WOW 20.

In the early moments, O’Malley came out aggressive, targeting Merab’s body. But the Georgian responded with his signature suffocating pressure. O’Malley landed a solid left hand and a front kick. He looked sharp, but Merab neutralized him with two takedowns. He punished him on the ground and with knees in the clinch until the end of the first round.

Suga came out swinging in the second, and they traded heavy shots—shots Dvalishvili absorbed with an iron jaw. The Georgian kept looking for the takedown, and though O’Malley defended well with counterstrikes, Merab never let up. He was relentless.

Then came the third round. Dvalishvili lifted O’Malley onto his shoulders and slammed him to the canvas. Once in O’Malley’s guard, he went to work, landing shots and racking up control time. O’Malley crawled to the cage to stand up but was dragged back down. Visibly exhausted, the American struggled to breathe and couldn’t regain his footing. On the mat, Dvalishvili caught his neck in an Arce choke and ended the fight.

“I was well prepared. I knew he’d make adjustments because I’ve made my own mistakes before,” said Merab afterward. “I have the tools, and I’m going to prove my worth. ”At this point, there’s little left for him to prove—he’s clearly one of the best fighters on the planet.

Harrison brings back Nunes

Kayla Harrison came in as the favorite, and she delivered. The two-time Olympic judo gold medalist and current #2 contender submitted Julianna Peña in the second round with a kimura, claiming the bantamweight title in her first defense. It was a flawless performance that firmly placed her on the throne.

From the start, Harrison controlled the Octagon. The two exchanged a few strikes, but nothing threatening. Peña used good footwork to avoid Kayla’s attacks, but her momentum was halted when she was penalized for an illegal kick to the face while Harrison was grounded on three points.

Despite the setback, Peña came out stronger in the second, landing some crisp shots and leading the exchanges. But Harrison pressed her to the fence, looking for a takedown—and even though she ended up on the ground, she stayed composed. Peña tried to tie her up, but Kayla locked in a kimura and finished the job.

With that submission, Harrison became the new bantamweight champion and immediately turned her attention to the fighter she really had in mind—Amanda Nunes, seated front row.

Nunes, a UFC and MMA icon, retired two years ago. “She’s the greatest fighter of all time, but I’ve got the belt now. She has the legacy,” said Harrison. Nunes smiled, already convinced. “I want to fight you. We all knew this moment was coming. The fans knew it. Now it’s time. I’m happy to be back. Congratulations—you’ve done an incredible job,” she said.

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