Former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley says withdrawing from his title defense opposite Merab Dvalishvili was never an option.
O'Malley was forced to relinquish his grip on the crown at 135 pounds in his second defense, which headlined last month's UFC 306 (Noche UFC) pay-per-view inside the Sphere in Las Vegas.
Six months on from an emphatic five-round display to exact revenge on Marlon "Chito" Vera in Miami, "Sugar" had a more difficult 25-minute experience when sharing the Octagon with Dvalishvili.
The Georgian utilized his relentless pressure and smothering grappling game to secure the decision victory, extending his winning run to 11 straight fights and completing his championship ambitions in the process.
In the aftermath of the result, O'Malley revealed a long spell on the sidelines awaited him, having fought through a torn labrum at UFC 306.
O'Malley Doesn't Regret Fighting Through Injury, Expects To 'Whoop' Dvalishvili In Rematch
During an appearance on the debut episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, O'Malley reflected on the disappointing end to his short title reign in Las Vegas last month.
In terms of the injury he competed with, "Sugar" insisted that withdrawing and delaying his second defense was not a possibility, partly down to his confidence when it came to having superiority over "The Machine."
I had a torn labrum. 10 weeks before the fight, I f*cking snapped my labrum. It is what it is. ... It was unfortunate," O'Malley said. "No, (I didn't consider pulling out). UFC Noche, f*cking Merab sucks. There was no reason to pull out.
No, (I don't regret not pulling out). Because I'm going to whoop Merab's ass, and it's going to make it that much sweeter when I beat him the second time," O'Malley continued. "Overall, I had a good camp. Way better camp than the Aljo camp. The rib injury was a lot harder to train with than the torn labrum. The labrum, it's just pain. ... I was able to do a lot more.
O'Malley has little doubt that a second dance with Dvalishvili lies in his future.
And with some uncertainty surrounding the Georgian's expected title defense against Umar Nurmagomedov coming to fruition before the Dagestani takes a break for Ramadan, "Sugar" is hoping for a faster-than-predicted recovery in order to be a available for a possible rematch with the champ in March or April 2025.