One of Montana’s Greatest Fighters Prepares For Epic UFC Rematch

A popular Montana-born UFC fighter is ready to step back into the ring in hopes of regaining the bantamweight title.

A Montana fighter is set to headline UFC 316 in a highly anticipated bantamweight title rematch against current champion Merab Dvalishvili at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

Sean O'Malley Prepares For Epic Rematch at UFC 316

Sean O'Malley, otherwise known as "Suga Sean", is ready to return to the Octagon for the first time since losing the title via a unanimous decision to Dvalishvili at UFC 306 in September 2024. That loss ended O'Malley's eight-fight win streak.

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O'Malley was born and raised in Helena, Montana, and recently sat down with ESPN to reflect on his childhood and Montana upbringing.

It was mid-summer 2014, and he was 19 years old. He had $2,000 to his name, saved up from his job at a local support center for people with disabilities. He went to Arizona to pursue better MMA training and begin his professional career in the sport. He had a few amateur fights in Montana, but had yet to turn pro.

Since leaving Montana, O'Malley's career has reached levels he could only dream of. Aside from his skills as a fighter, he is entertaining to watch. There aren't many professional fighters with multi-colored hair.

The O'Malley-Dvalishvili rematch is scheduled for Saturday, June 7. The co-main event features Julianna Peña defending her women's bantamweight title against Kayla Harrison. The event will be broadcast on ESPN+ Pay-Per-View, with the main card starting at 8 p.m. MDT.

The rematch against Dvalishvili is arguably the biggest fight of O'Malley's career, and fans in Montana are eagerly awaiting the opening bell on Saturday night.