Sean O’Malley broke down Usman jumping Merab, and he didn’t hold back 👀 The man Merab beat twice watched the Abu Dhabi hotel footage frame by frame. His take: Merab got rocked by that first slap and was clearly caught off guard, but Usman was in the wrong for how it went down. Suga says one slap, security steps in, call it 1-1 and move on. Jumping him with a crew is a different story. He also gave a shout out to Merab’s 21-year-old wrestler friend who dropped two of Usman’s guys. Now he thinks it sets up Topuria vs Usman, a fight he says he’d love to see. Is O’Malley right about Usman here? 🎥 Sean O’Malley on YouTube #merabdvalishvili #seanomalley #usmannurmagomedov
Sean O'Malley has weighed in on the Abu Dhabi hotel confrontation involving Usman Nurmagomedov and Merab Dvalishvili, saying Usman was in the wrong for how the altercation unfolded. O'Malley made his comments on YouTube after reviewing the footage frame by frame.
O'Malley, who lost twice to Dvalishvili, said the Georgian was rocked by the first slap and caught off guard. His view of the aftermath was blunt: one slap, security steps in, and the sides call it even. Jumping Merab with a group, he argued, was something else entirely. He also singled out Merab's 21-year-old wrestler friend, who reportedly put down two of Usman's associates, with a shout-out.
O'Malley then pointed to a possible next step, saying the incident sets up a Ilia Topuria fight with Usman, a matchup he would love to see.
The man who knows Merab's game
O'Malley is 20-3 and ranked second at bantamweight. At 32, he is coming off a second-round KO/TKO of Aiemann Zahabi at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14, 2026, and a unanimous decision over Song Yadong in January. His most recent recorded loss was the submission defeat to Dvalishvili at UFC 316 in June 2025, the second of his two losses to the former champion. He lands 6.05 significant strikes per minute at 60 percent accuracy.
Why it matters
- O'Malley's loss history with Dvalishvili makes him a notable voice, even though he has no stake in the hotel dispute itself.
- His comments aim at a Topuria-Usman fight, a matchup that has not been announced.
- The reaction shows how the Abu Dhabi footage is shaping the debate among fighters.
The comments are opinion, and the account of what happened comes from O'Malley's reading of the footage.
