Sean O’Malley is set to return to the Octagon for the first time since losing the bantamweight title, when he faces Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 316 on Saturday, June 7.
This highly anticipated showdown will take place at Newark’s Prudential Center, with another title fight featuring bantamweight champion Julianna Pena defending her title against Kayla Harrison also on the card.
O’Malley lost his 135-pound championship at the Sphere in September 2024, making this fight an opportunity for redemption against Dvalishvili.
In the lead-up to the bout, O’Malley has expressed confidence in his training, claiming that his preparation has improved significantly compared to their last encounter.
However, concerns have been raised about his training regimen by fellow UFC bantamweight contender Henry Cejudo.
On a recent episode of the Pound 4 Pound podcast, Cejudo shared insights from what he’s heard regarding O’Malley’s preparations, which have raised eyebrows.
Cejudo, who suffered a defeat against Dvalishvili at UFC 298, believes that O’Malley’s commitment to his training might be lacking.
He revealed, “The biggest thing with O’Malley is, did he formulate his camp correctly? There’s a lot of birdies out there. I’m gonna say it, here on Pound 4 Pound.”
Cejudo suggested that O’Malley’s focus seemed to be predominantly on jiu-jitsu, at the expense of other crucial aspects of his game.
“There’s a suggestion that he’s not investing enough in his camp,” Cejudo stated, adding, “He’s just working jiu-jitsu. He’s not working his get-ups, his stand-ups. He’s not bringing in guys for money…it’s true, it’s one hundred percent true.”
Cejudo also speculated that O’Malley’s reluctance to spend on quality training partners might stem from a desire to keep things within a tight budget.
He advised, “When you do that, Kamaru, s—t gets out there. That’s the only reason why I know. People, listen to me, bet the house [on] Merab Dvalishvili.”
Despite the doubts cast by Cejudo, O’Malley is striving to make significant changes in his life and training routine ahead of the rematch.
After receiving his immediate shot at redemption, O’Malley announced that he has eliminated some habits that he believes could negatively affect his performance, such as social media use and smoking.
“I feel like a lot of things that have changed in my life are going to attribute to my performance,” said O’Malley on his TimboSugarShow podcast.
He elaborated on the impact of staying off social media, stating, “I decided in 2025 I’m done with social media. I don’t get on social media, and I feel like that’s changed my life.”
O’Malley believes that these personal adjustments, even over a short span of three months, will positively influence his competitive performance.
“All those little things, making decisions like that, sacrifices…I don’t believe [social media] is a sacrifice, but giving up something, I feel like that is going to help me perform in the future,” he concluded.
As he steps into the cage in Newark, O’Malley will aim to validate his commitment to a more focused lifestyle and preparation, which he hopes will lead him to a potential second UFC title reign.
image source from：https://bloodyelbow.com/2025/06/04/maybe-hes-cheap-sean-omalleys-rival-makes-a-worrying-claim-about-his-ufc-316-camp/
