Sean O’Malley is taking inspiration from Conor McGregor ahead of his shot at redemption against Merab Dvalishvili.
On Saturday evening, at UFC 316, the American will attempt to reclaim his belt from his rival, in front of a raucous crowd at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, USA.
While O’Malley claims he’s not retiring anytime soon, he knows a victory over the Georgian is of paramount importance if he wants to inject his name back into the conversation regarding who the best bantamweight of all time is.
With that in mind, he’s taking motivation from one of the most iconic fights in the history of the sport.
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Sean O’Malley is taking inspiration from Conor McGregor vs Nate Diaz 2
At UFC 196, Conor McGregor lost in one of the biggest upsets of all time, when Nate Diaz submitted him via guillotine.
However, rather than losing confidence, the Irishman bounced back in the rematch at UFC 202, dropping his opponent en route to winning a majority decision.
After his loss, McGregor went back to the drawing board and constructed the correct game plan to secure himself the victory.
Therefore, while O’Malley lost comprehensively at the hands of Merab Dvalishvili the first time around, with the correct adjustments, a different result could be possible.
In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, the 30-year-old watched on in silence as McGregor detonated the left hand that sent Diaz tumbling towards the canvas.
Merab Dvalishvili claims UFC 316 rematch has huge ‘everything or nothing’ implications for Sean O’Malley
O’Malley’s determination to win stems not just from his natural competitive instincts, but the knowledge that in order to continue participating in super fights, he has to right the wrongs from the first contest.
Unfortunately for the former champion, his opponent is equally aware of how important the match-up is for him.
Therefore, the reigning 135-pound King will walk to the octagon on Saturday night intent on ending this chapter once and for all.
Opening up about the fight, Dvalishvili said there are ‘all or nothing’ consequences for O’Malley.