UFC men’s bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili is headed into the biggest fight of his UFC career, and he may not be 100%.
With less than two weeks to go before his rematch with Sean O’Malley at UFC 316 on June 7 in Newark, Dvalishvili revealed an injured toe that he believes is broken during a training session.
Here is a look at the video, which was reposted by Championship Rounds. Dvalishvili joked that he was going to have his toe removed—at least I think he was joking.
Dvalishvili has made a habit of sharing details about his injuries ahead of fights. He did it just before he dethroned O’Malley at Noche UFC in September 2024. Dvalishvili suffered a face laceration a week out from the fight and openly showed the injury on his social media account.
It worked out that time, but it remains to be seen if he’ll be able to shake off the effects of this injury or if O’Malley will find a way to use it against his rival.
Here is a look at the complete card.
Main Card (10:00 PM ET, ESPN+ PPV)
- Bantamweight Title Fight: Merab Dvalishvili (c) vs. Sean O’Malley
- Women’s Bantamweight Title Fight: Julianna Peña (c) vs. Kayla Harrison
- Middleweight Bout: Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer
- Bantamweight Bout: Mario Bautista vs. Patchy Mix
- Welterweight Bout: Vicente Luque vs. Kevin Holland
Preliminary Card (8:00 PM ET, ESPN/ESPN+/Disney+)
- Flyweight Bout: Bruno Silva vs. Joshua Van
- Heavyweight Bout: Serghei Spivac vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta
- Light Heavyweight Bout: Azamat Murzakanov vs. Johnny Walker
Early Prelims (6:00 PM ET, ESPN+/Disney+/UFC Fight Pass)
- Women’s Flyweight Bout: Ariane da Silva vs. Wang Cong
- Featherweight Bout: Jeka Saragih vs. Joo Sang Yoo
- Lightweight Bout: Quillan Salkilld vs. Yanal Ashmouz
If Dvalishvili’s toe is as compromised as it looks in the video, expect O’Malley to attempt to stomp the champion’s foot, force him to move laterally to his right, and to test if the former is able to generate explosiveness when he goes for a takedown.
O’Malley is a highly cerebral fighter in the Octagon, and many will question Dvalishvili sharing his injury on social media. Ahead of their first meeting, UFC President Dana White harshly questioned Dvalishvili showing his injury.
It would not be a surprise to see White share a similar message whenever he’s asked about his bantamweight champion’s actions.
Dvalishvili has already created a legacy for himself with his win over O’Malley and his successful title defense against Umar Nurmagomedov in January. He’s on a 12-fight win streak and hasn’t lost since 2018.
If Dvalishvili can battle through this injury and score a second win over O’Malley and a successful title defense, the champion will move closer to being considered one of the greatest bantamweights of all time.
Aside from the main event, the UFC 316 card will feature a second world title bout. UFC women’s bantamweight champion Julianna Peña will defend her title against Kayla Harrison. Fans will also see the promotional debut of former Bellator bantamweight champion Patchy Mix.
He will tangle with Mario Bautista on the main card. Bautista was originally set to face Marlon Vera, but the latter was forced to pull out. The recently signed Mix stepped up to take the fight.
A win would put him in the mix—no pun intended—for the UFC’s 135-pound crown. Stay tuned for more information as we get closer to the promotion’s next PPV card.
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