Sean O'Malley, Merab Dvalishvili's Next Best Fights After UFC 316 Results

The bantamweight division still belongs to Merab Dvalishvili after UFC 316. Sean O'Malley had his chance at redemption, but The Machine defended his belt with a third-round submission win over Suga.

The 34-year-old continues to prove himself as the best in the 135-pound division. It's only his second consecutive title defense, but he's now on a 13-fight win streak that goes back to 2018.

So now the question becomes who will be the next challenger to try and snap that streak? Dvalishvili is already getting close to cleaning out the division. Are there contenders waiting in the wings or could a move up to featherweight be in order?

Here, we'll take on those questions in the wake of UFC 316 along with what could be next for O'Malley after getting beat by Dvalishvili for a second time.

Dvalishvili's Next Best Fights

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• Cory Sandhagen
• Petr Yan
• Mario Bautista

Finding the next contender to fight Dvalishvili is a little tough. There isn't an obvious high-profile opponent like O'Malley that's immediately available.

One thing that isn't going to happen is a move up to featherweight. Dvalishvili told Fox Sports Australia that he has no interest in going up to challenge Alexander Volkanovski despite the difficult cut down to 135 pounds.

While a move up to featherweight could be an option down the line, it's clear that Dvalishvili wants to continue establishing himself as the best bantamweight.

A win over Cory Sandhagen might be the next move to do that. Dvalishvili called Sandhagen the "clear contender" on UFC 316 media day. It's hard to argue. Sandhagen has won three of his last four fights including a TKO win over Deiveson Figueiredo.

Petr Yan might not have enough wins since his loss to Dvalishvili in 2023, but he is also coming off a win over Figueiredo. He might have enough pull as a former champion to cut to the front of the line.

If we're looking for a potential wildcard then Mario Bautista would fit the bill. Bautista played spoiler to Bellator champion Patchy Mix on the main card. Mix was supposed to come in and make a clean UFC debut that could have set up a title shot.

Instead, Bautistia put together a fairly one-sided unanimous decision victory. He's still probably a few wins away from a title fight, but he's a name to keep an eye on.

O'Malley's Next Best Fights

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• Diego Lopes
• Umar Nurmagomedov
• Petr Yan

Losing this rematch is a worst-case scenario for O'Malley at 135 pounds. Losing two fights to the champion of the division could make it complicated for O'Malley to get back into the title picture.

A move up to the featherweight division could be a necessity at this point. O'Malley's frame looks like it could handle the move up to 145 pounds, although it would take away some of the advantage that his length gives him at 135.

If he wants to go up to 145 pounds it would make sense to target Diego Lopes. The Brazilian isn't afraid to throw down in exciting fights. O'Malley would have the opportunity to showcase what his striking could be like in a new weight class.

Of course, there are options if O'Malley is determined to get the bantamweight crown back. A fight against Umar Nurmagomedov would give him the chance to show he can beat a volume grappler.

Nurmagomedov is coming off a loss to Dvalishvili himself so it would make sense from that perspective.

A rematch against Yan would make sense for both parties. He's probably a win away from a title shot and the two fought to a split decision in 2022.