PHOENIX -- Sean O'Malley wonders what condition Merab Dvalishvili is in physically and mentally ahead of UFC 333. Dvalishvili plans to reclaim his title from Petr Yan in Abu Dhabi, but O'Malley isn't sold on that outcome.
There was an air of inevitability heading into UFC 323 last December. Dvalishvili was one fight away from becoming the first fighter to make four successful UFC title defenses in one year. All he had to do was beat a man he'd already dominated. Instead, Yan shocked everyone by clinically dismantling his rival. O'Malley can't help but wonder where Dvalishvili's head is at after that loss and a more recent defeat to Henry Cejudo on the wrestling mats in Real American Freestyle.
"Where is his confidence at? That's what I want to know," O'Malley told CBS Sports during an exclusive interview at Red Hawk Academy, the mixed martial arts gym owned by his coach, Tim Welch. "Confidence is such a big thing.
"He just got his ass kicked for the first time; I don't remember him getting his ass kicked like that. Then he gets pinned in 34 seconds. I'm curious where his confidence is at. Skill-wise, he's great; he's excellent. But a lot of this game is mental."
Check out the full exclusive interview with Sean O'Malley below.
There were two prevailing narratives coming out of that fight: how good Yan is when he's healthy and if Dvalishvili pushed his body too far. O'Malley sees truth in both assessments, but believes the rematch said more about Yan than it did his opponent.
"Most people's favorite fighter is Petr Yan. He's sick. He's skilled. He's a little terminator that's fun to watch..." O'Malley said. "[But] fighting four title fights, those weight cuts are brutal. They are not good for our bodies at all. Doing it four times in 12 months is insane."
Yan and Dvalishvili will settle matters on Oct. 24. Their trilogy serves as the co-main event for UFC 333 in Salt Lake City.
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"It's hard to go out there and beat Petr," O'Malley said. "If we didn't see what happened last fight, I'd say, 'Merab's gas tank is crazy!' Well, Petr's gas tank is crazy! Petr beat Merab in the later rounds. He broke Merab. It's hard not to go with Petr.
"But Merab is one of those guys you can't count out ever. I think skill-for-skill, Petr is better. I think it's whoever shows up healthier. Merab is dealing with that nose. Who knows what else he's dealing with. I'm leaning towards Petr, but I've grown to like Merab a lot over the years. He's a good guy. I'm not wishing anything. We'll see who the better man is that night."
O'Malley says he isn't wishing for anything, but one outcome benefits him more. "Suga" admits that there isn't an appetite for a third fight between him and Dvalishvili. However, O'Malley has a controversial win over Yan. The reigning champion getting it done in Abu Dhabi, on the day of O'Malley's birthday, is the present O'Malley could ask for.
O'Malley is coming off a memorable performance at UFC Freedom 250. He scored a walk-off knockout against Aiemann Zahabi, celebrating with a salute before the referee could even wave it off. Yan posted an Instagram Story claiming that the UFC had protected O'Malley by not booking their title fight at the White House. O'Malley claimed he was never offered the title fight. He laughed at Yan's remarks, reminding everyone that O'Malley was ranked No. 11 when he kickstarted Yan's losing streak.
"I fought that night," O'Malley said. "He was getting his teeth and hair done, trying to get knee extensions to be 5-foot-7. It's silly. I took that [first] fight [against Yan] when I was ranked No. 11. He was already the man. He'd been the champion, and he'd already beaten Aljamain Sterling. I took that fight ranked No. 11 before I'd fought anybody. To say I'm afraid of him is crazy.
"If Petr loses to Merab, he doesn't get the rematch. If Petr really wants that fight back, he has to get the job done. Other than that, I'll end it 1-0 against him."
