Sean O'Malley will be looking to reclaim his lightweight title when he faces Merab Dvalishvili in the main event of UFC 316.
In their previous encounter at UFC 306, Dvalishvili emerged victorious with a superior performance to take the belt from O'Malley, who was unable to withstand the Georgian's wrestling.
Since then, Dvalishvili defended his title against highly-rated Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311, becoming the first fighter to defeat the Dagestani title challenger.
Undefeated in his last 12 fights, no one has been able to keep up with the pace that Dvalishvili sets for his opponents, who has arguably the best stamina in the sport.
Photo: Sofacore.
With wins over Jose Aldo, Henry Cejudo, O'Malley and Nurmagomedov, he has established himself as one of the best fighters in the 135-pound division.
O'Malley may not have a clear path to victory, but if he's going to surprise, it's going to happen early and probably by knockout.
It's a big question, but if he can hold out in the early rounds and keep Dvalishvili out of the fight, he may find an opportunity to cause problems for his opponent.
One of the sport's brightest superstars, his social media activity has become significantly more subdued, indicating a greater focus from O'Malley, who understands the challenges he faces.
In the co-main event of UFC 316, Julianna Pena begins her second title reign against Kayla Harrison.
Peña defeated Raquel Pennington at UFC 307, her first fight since losing the title to Amanda Nunes at UFC 277.
Peña shocked the sports world when she defeated Nunes at UFC 269 to win the belt, so she knows she can succeed in the biggest fights.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
