After a Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O’Malley rematch for the bantamweight title was announced for UFC 316 in New Jersey, hardcore MMA fans flooded the internet to call it an unnecessary fight that would end the same way as the first.
But according to the bookies taking bets, they expect enough money to be coming in on O’Malley that they’ve juiced the line a good amount in preparation for the June 8th match.
Back when Merab Dvalishvili defeated Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311, future odds for a potential Sean O’Malley rematch were set at a very reasonable -400 Dvalishvili to +300 O’Malley. Them’s numbers we can get behind as a realistic indicator of the chances “Suga” has of regaining his title against the momentum-heavy “Machine.”
Following UFC CEO Dana White’s announcement of the fight, though, we saw very different odds. Merab Dvalishvili is -250 and Sean O’Malley is +200. Those aren’t numbers that reflect the largely one-sided blowout we witnessed in the first fight. Those are numbers designed to draw action on Merab to balance out the flood of anticipated O’Malley fans betting on their boy.
Can Sean O’Malley turn things around in the rematch? It depends on how much of a factor you believe his injured groin / hip was going into UFC 306. Maybe you think “Suga” found the chink in Merab’s armor near the end of their first fight when he hit the Georgian fighter with a body shot that clearly hurt. Or perhaps you’re inspired by Sean’s recent no SnapChat, weed, or peen regiment.
Whatever reason you may have to bet on O’Malley, there’s plenty of sportsbooks out there willing to give you pretty terrible odds. The best time to bet O’Malley was back in January when the odds reflected Dvalishvili’s powerful performance against Nurmagomedov. The second best time would be in another fight where “Suga” winning is more likely. Bet wisely, my friends.
This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
