Dana White Reveals Former Bantamweight Champ Sean O’Malley Will Attend UFC 311

Former UFC Bantamweight Champion Sean O'Malley is far from done when it comes to earning a second crack at championship gold.
Craig Kidwell-Imagn Images

Former UFC Bantamweight Champion Sean O'Malley (18-2 MMA) will have his eyes glued to the UFC 311 bantamweight co-headliner between newly minted bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA) and unbeaten Umar Nurmagomedov (18-0 MMA) for good reason.

O'Malley To Attend UFC 311 In Los Angeles

O'Malley is four months removed from losing his title to Dvalishvili and is seeking another shot at recapturing what was once his. In doing so, UFC CEO Dana White told The Jim Rome Show on Wednesday about O'Malley's soon-to-be appearance in Inglewood, Calif., come fight night.

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"I think he’s gonna be watching [Merab vs Umar] closely and could possibly fight the winner," White said.

This is significant news for the bantamweight division if it were to come true. For one, it already has a heated backstory about how O'Malley's coaches baited Dvalishvili into listening to the then-champion's instructions to throw him off. It didn't happen.

Dana White Reveals Former Bantamweight Champ Sean O’Malley Will Attend UFC 311
Sep 14, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Sean OíMalley of the United States (red gloves) fights Merab Dvalishvili of Georgia (blue gloves) during Riyadh Season Noche UFC 306 at The Sphere. Mandatory Credit: / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Dvalishvili's eventual win sparked a new era in a division that has seen much parity over the years. This could obviously be a good or bad thing, as title changes happen rather rapidly in MMA.

O'Malley prefers a rematch as well, and said recently he anticipates the fight moving at a much different pace.

"Ideally, Merab beats Umar and I get the rematch,” O’Malley said. “But if Umar wins, it’ll be Umar. That’s what I want next is a title fight."

Although no specific dates were disclosed, O'Malley said he wants the rematch sooner rather than later.

Dana White Reveals Former Bantamweight Champ Sean O’Malley Will Attend UFC 311
Sep 14, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Sean OíMalley of the United States (red gloves) fights Merab Dvalishvili of Georgia (blue gloves) during Riyadh Season Noche UFC 306 at The Sphere. / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

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“Hopefully mid-next year. So the winner of that one. That fight’s coming up very, very soon.”

Although fans may be opposed to it, the UFC wouldn't be. O'Malley is a draw, as he headlined two of the promotion's biggest events last year in UFC 299 and UFC 306 (Noche UFC).

There is no telling what he can't do next, as he became the first fighter in Dana White's Contender Series history to win a title, followed shortly thereafter by former light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill.

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Zain Bando
ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99