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Henry Cejudo Predicts Merab Dvalishvili Will Stop Sean O’Malley, Plans Return to 125lbs

Henry Cejudo Sean O'Malley Merab Dvalishvili Former UFC double champion and Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo has some strong beliefs about what will happen when…

Former UFC double champion and Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo has some strong beliefs about what will happen when bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley and his challenger Merab Dvalishvili throw down in the cage at UFC 306.

The former featherweight and bantamweight champion stepped away from his titles after a victory over bantamweight legend Dominick Cruz at UFC 249. At that point in time, Henry Cejudo had all the money that he desired but no time to play with it. When he retired, he mentioned his desire to relax, start a family, and give up the brutal fight game.

However, it was easier said than done, and Cejudo could never fully bring himself to walk away from it. He stayed vocal about MMA’s current events and even fighters’ performances. He wanted back into the mix, and three years later, he would have his chance against Aljamain Sterling at UFC 288 for the bantamweight title.

Henry Cejudo Plans return to featherweight, doubts Sean O’Malley’s chances against Merab Dvalishvili

Cejudo would not return to MMA after his retirement and score a victory over an active and in-his-prime champion. In fact, Sterling defeated him. Cejudo would go on and lose another battle at UFC 298, this time to Sterling’s close friend and training partner, Merab Dvalishvili.

Now, Dvalishvili is finally getting a long-awaited title shot against Sean O’Malley, and Cejudo is confident that he can walk away as the victor.

“This is my prediction,” Henry Cejudo said during an interview with MMA Junkie reps (H/T BJ Penn.com). “Merab Dvalishvili is going to stop Sean O’Malley at the Sphere. He’s going to beat him. He’s going to either 50-45 him, maybe not 50-45 because he may lose the first two rounds or the first one at least. He’s going to beat him, but once Umar (Nurmagomedov) comes in, he’s just going to have his way with Merab. He really is. Umar is really good, really technical.”

Now hanging in a sort of MMA limbo, Henry Cejudo is an undesirable money fight for many guys. Defeating him doesn’t do much for your resume. Sure, he used to be the double champ, and he’s ‘Triple C’ and all, but that was a long time ago now. Currently, he’s just an aging fighter who fights across two divisions that are notoriously favorable to the younger opponent. A loss to him would be much more traumatic to a fighter’s career than the benefits of defeating him would be, as far as risk and reward is concerned.

“There could be a potential return at flyweight,” Henry Cejudo continued. “These are a lot of things I’m contemplating, potentially going back down. With the bantamweight division getting hot and with the newcomers coming in, there’s been a lot of thought of me going back down and getting a fight with Moreno and winning the belt once again. There’s a lot of cool stuff. These are kind of things I really want to think about and really decide once I get home and once, I’m injury-free. It’s just one little thing, but it’s a major thing. Because I’m going to be making a commitment to go out there and just do another run, do another run at these titles and dedicate myself like I was before.”

“I’m after gold now,” Henry Cejudo affirmed. “I think if I do go down to 125 pounds and stay disciplined, I don’t think there’s anyone that can beat me. Plus, I think there’s a fun fight with Brandon Moreno. He wanted to fight me at 135 and then he backed out like a little b*tch. Now, I think if I go down and I beat him in Mexico, in his own country, I think that could be a big-ass payday too.”

Do you also think that Henry Cejudo goes down to 125lbs just to get smashed by Brandon Moreno or Alexandre Pantoja?

‘Mentally weak. Drug addict, needs rehab’ Sean O’Malley scolds Conor McGregor

Sean O’Malley has taken aim at Conor McGregor. O’Malley took to social media on Monday night and blasted the…

Sean O’Malley has taken aim at Conor McGregor.

O’Malley took to social media on Monday night and blasted the former UFC champ-champ out of nowhere saying he is no longer in the GOAT conversation. O’Malley also criticized McGregor calling him mentally weak and a drug addict.

Conor isn’t in anyone GOAT talk. Entertainment yes but skills, no. Has a really good left hand. Shit Cardio. Weak Jits. Decently athletic. Mentally weak. Drug addict, needs rehab. 1-4 last 5 fights. Still fan tho. Hope toe heals up

— Sean O'Malley (@SugaSeanMMA) July 23, 2024

“Conor isn’t in anyone GOAT talk. Entertainment yes but skills, no. Has a really good left hand. Shit Cardio. Weak Jits. Decently athletic. Mentally weak. Drug addict, needs rehab. 1-4 last 5 fights. Still fan tho. Hope toe heals up,” Sean O’Malley wrote on X.

He then sent another tweet as he claimed McGregor fell off mightily and he misses the old Conor.

“Miss the old Conor you fell off bud. Still a fan tho. I actually don’t care you are 1-4 in your last 5 I’m still excited to watch. Hope the toe is feeling better,” O’Malley added.

The tweets seemingly came out of nowhere as O’Malley blasted Conor McGregor, who he has talked about in the past playing a key role in his career, and being an influence for him. McGregor has also yet to respond to O’Malley’s messages and whether or not he will is to be seen.

Sean O’Malley vows to KO Merab Dvalishvili

UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley is likely to face Merab Dvalishvili next time out as he looks to defend his bantamweight title for a second time.

The fight has not been made official, but it has been rumored for The Sphere in September and O’Malley is confident when the fight happens he will KO Dvalishvili.

“I just feel like there’s nothing really he’s going to be able to do (to beat me). I’m going to try and sleep him the exact same time I slept Aljo (Aljamain Sterling). I’m gonna try and time it. That’s my goal,” O’Malley said on his podcast (via BloodyElbow).

O’Malley is coming off a lopsided decision win over Marlon Vera back in March to defend his bantamweight title for the first time.

Exclusive – Urijah Faber unsure Sean O’Malley wins fight with Merab Dvalishvili: ‘That’s a bad matchup’

Urijah Faber recently spoke with us here at Lowkick MMA and gave his thoughts on how the current bantamweight…

Urijah Faber recently spoke with us here at Lowkick MMA and gave his thoughts on how the current bantamweight champion, Sean O’Malley, would fare against what many consider to be his toughest challenger yet: Merab Dvalishvili.

It seems almost fated that O’Malley and Dvalishvili will fight for the title. ‘Suga’ keeps icing everybody the UFC puts in his way, and Dvalishvili has been a seemingly unstoppable force in the 135lbs division for a long time now. ‘The Machine’ is currently riding an astonishing 10-fight win streak inside the UFC, and it’s getting virtually impossible to deny him a title shot now.

The debate of Sean O’Malley vs Merab Dvalishvili is an intriguing one. Some don’t see how O’Malley will be able to contain the near nonstop pressure of ‘The Machine’, while others believe ‘Suga’ will rise to the occasion. Urijah Faber was kind enough to weigh in on this matter and provide his opinion as a UFC hall-of-famer and elite MMA coach.

Urijah Faber weighs in on the matchup between Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili

“I think it’s going to be hard to say,” Urijah Faber told LowKick MMA reporter Makoa Goble when asked how O’Malley might handle the offensive wrestling pressure that ‘The Machine’ can bring to the table. “You would think so, but nobody else has been able to (stop the wrestling), even Henry Cejudo.”

Merab Dvalishvili’s smothering wrestling pressure has been unstoppable so far. Many have accurately described ‘The Machine’ as a ‘grinder’, and it is true. For the most part, he simply gives his opponents no quarter and no room to breathe.

“Honestly, that’s a bad matchup for O’Malley,” Faber continued. “Because Merab is so durable. That dude is durable. He’s gone against some killers, and just kind of walked through their best offense. The only time he’s really been hurt is when he knocked himself out, slamming himself, ya know.”

didn’t notice on first watch but Merab totally knocks himself out on the initial takedown https://t.co/5af2CPF3MA

— Andrew (@andrewdcabello) April 26, 2018

“But, O’Malley has got that It factor. He’s got a finesse about him, he’s got like a matador type of style. Merab is definitely a bull, and If O’Malley can have his perfect fight, he’ll just be tagging him with clean shots and staying on the outside. O’Malley’s grappling is really good. I’ve trained with some of his training partners, and they are really high-level training partners… It could go either way.”

Who do you think will win between Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili?

‘Sugar’ Sean O’Malley shares screenshot from fabled sparring session with UFC 301’s Alexandre Pantoja

Ahead of Alexandre Pantoja’s next flyweight title defense, ‘Sugar’ Sean O’Malley released a screenshot from a past sparring session…

Ahead of Alexandre Pantoja’s next flyweight title defense, ‘Sugar’ Sean O’Malley released a screenshot from a past sparring session between the two titleholders.

This Saturday night, Pantoja puts his 125-pound crown on the line against unlikely title challenger Steve Erceg in the UFC 301 headliner in Rio de Janeiro.

The fight comes five months removed from a successful defense against Brandon Royval at UFC 290 in December.

Days before their highly anticipated clash in Brazil, Sean O’Malley shared an image from a 2015 sparring session where ‘Sugar’ is said to have folded ‘The Cannibal’ with a perfectly placed liver shot.

Sean O'Malley sparring Alexandre Pantoja

At that point, Pantoja had not yet made his UFC debut but already competed in 18 fights as a professional mixed martial artist whereas O’Malley turned pro the same year he threw hands with Pantoja in the gym.

Tim Welch Reveals How Sean O’Malley Put Down Alexandre Pantoja

Sean O’Malley’s longtime coach Tim Welch offered some insight into the incident on his YouTube channel, confirming that ‘Sugar’ promptly put Pantoja down during the encounter.

“[He wasn’t] really in fight camp at all,” Welch said on his YouTube channel. “Going to sparring to get a few rounds in and Henry [Cejudo] is like, ‘Hey, you want to spar this guy?’

“So Sean says ‘Yeah, I’ll spar him.’ They spar one round, Sean comes out on a rip, puts him down. Puts him down in the first minute. Now mind you this is — I don’t even remember what year this is — I don’t even think Sean was a professional yet, he might have been a professional just breaking in. Sean comes out there, bounces around, young buck. Boom, hits him with a liver shot, puts him down.

“Pantoja has to stop, he has to wave it off, go over to Henry, kneel down, call it off. I mean there’s a video, never released video but he puts him down” (h/t MMA Mania).

UFC lightweight champ Islam Makhachev is giving Sean O’Malley nightmares: ‘Thank God that wasn’t real’

Reigning UFC lightweight world champion Islam Makhachev is so good, he’s giving his fellow fighters nightmares. At least, that’s…

Reigning UFC lightweight world champion Islam Makhachev is so good, he’s giving his fellow fighters nightmares.

At least, that’s the case for Sean O’Malley, the promotion’s current bantamweight titleholder. During a recent episode of the TimboSugarShow podcast with his coach and friend Tim Welch, ‘Sugar’ revealed that the ‘Dagestani Destroyer’ had recently invaded his dreams.

“I’d say Islam, Islam’s so f*cking scary,” O’Malley said. “I had a nightmare that I had to fight him, I woke up and I was- ‘Oh God, thank God that wasn’t real ’cause I’d knock that motherf*cker out!’”

O’Malley quickly changed his tune, admitting that he was relieved upon waking up.

“No, I actually woke up and was like ‘Oh f*ck that,’” O’Malley said. “I thought I was going to walk out and fight Islam.”

Sean O’Malley is currently gearing up for his first defense of the 135-pound title at UFC 299 on March 9. ‘Sugar’ will run it back with the first and only man to defeat him inside the Octagon, Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera, when the promotion returns to Miami, Florida.

As for Islam Makhachev, the lightweight sensation is coming off back-to-back wins over featherweight kingpin Alexander Volkanovski. Makhachev bested ‘The Great’ in a Fight of the Year contender at UFC 284 last February, escaping with a closely contested decision. The two ran it back when Volkanovski stepped in on 11 days’ notice at UFC 294 after Makhachev’s original opponent, Charles Oliveira, withdrew due to injury. This time around, Makhachev finished Volkanovski via a first-round KO.

“He’s so well-rounded, he’s skilled as f*ck,” O’Malley added. “I’d say Islam’s probably like that next f*cking level.”

Sean O’Malley hilariously shuts down rematch call from Aljamain Sterling at UFC 293 in brutal clap back

Appearing to skirt a future title defense at the bantamweight limit against the streaking, Merab Dvalishvili in his Octagon return – newly-minted champion, Sean O’Malley has shut down an immediate title defense rematch with Aljamain Sterling next, after the Uniondale native called for a re-run during the broadcast of UFC 293 last night. O’Malley, just […]

O’Malley, just the second fighter from Dana White’s Contender Series to land Octagon gold, managed to do so last month in the main event of UFC 292, toppling the dominant Sterling with a spectacular second round TKO victory in Boston, Massachusetts.

And targeting a comeback to the Octagon before the close of this year – potentially on December 16. at UFC 296 in Las Vegas, Nevada, O’Malley has firmly set sights on a bid to avenge his sole professional loss in a showdown against former-foe, Marlon Vera.

Sean O’Malley claps back at Aljamain Sterling during UFC 293 broadcast

However, as for Sterling, the Serra-Longo MMA mainstay has made his thoughts on his future clear, displaying a note for O’Malley on his phone – calling for an immediate title rematch on the broadcast of UFC 293.

Seated back home in the United States and obviously tuning into watch the action at UFC 293 last night in Sydney, Australia – O’Malley clapped back and definitively shut down calls from Sterling for a rematch, simply showing his own phone screen with the word, “No”.

If it was close, maybe. pic.twitter.com/tUyFbhVk6x

— Sean O'Malley (@SugaSeanMMA) September 10, 2023

Expected to pursue a title rematch with Vera next, as mentioned above, Montana native, O’Malley has already shut down the possibility of a clash with Georgia native, Dvalishvili, claiming his win over Sterling in August is as good as a win over the Tbilisi grappling star.

“I knocked out Merab (Dvalishvili) on August 19th, the same night I knocked out Aljo (Aljamain Sterling),” Sean O’Malley said. “They’re the same, they hold hands, they’re the same person. I knocked them both out August 19th, so we’ll see what happens. I’ve called out the ‘Chito’ fight before me versus Aljo, before Pedro versus ‘Chito’.”

“I said, ‘Hey, ‘Chito’ goes out there and wins, I go out there and win, I’m fighting ‘Chito’ for my first title defense,’ And that’s what happened,” Sean O’Malley explained. That’s what’s going to happen next in my eyes. That’s what I want, but at the end of the day, I’ll go out there and knock out whoever they [the UFC] put in front of me.”

Tag: Sean O'Malley