Merab Dvalishvili Reveals Toe Injury Ahead of UFC 316 Title Defense

Merab Dvalishvili injures his toe just 2 weeks out from the Sean O'Malley rematch 😅

"It's okay, I'm gonna cut it off."

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🎥 IG / vato.gv #UFC316 pic.twitter.com/91YVmKSWAh

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) May 23, 2025

Merab Dvalishvili is not one for discretion when it comes to pre-fight injuries.

With his rematch against Sean O’Malley in the UFC 316 headliner just a couple weeks away, the reigning bantamweight champion recently posted a video of an injured pinky toe on his Instagram Stories. The video was originally shared by social media user vato.gv.

Dvalishvili didn’t seem to be overly concerned about the ailment, which apparently came as a result of a training session with Legacy Fighting Alliance talent Cameron Sandoval.

“Why you break my toe, friend?” Dvalishvili asked.

“That was you, you kicked me in the head and broke your toe, that was your fault,” Sandoval replied.

“I’m going to cut it off. This guy broke it,” Dvalishvili said.

While it doesn’t appear that the injury will affect Dvalishvili’s availability for the O’Malley rematch, it’s not the first time he’s shared the damage he’s incurred while training.

Prior to his first meeting with O’Malley at UFC 306, “The Machine” revealed a significant cut above his eye. While that revelation didn’t please UFC CEO Dana White, it didn’t affect his performance in a unanimous decision triumph. Dvalishvili also dealt with some issues — including a pinched nerve in his back and a staph infection — ahead of his UFC 311 title defense against Umar Nurmagomedov, but those were not revealed until after his victory.

UFC 316 takes place on June 7 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Dvalishvili will take a 12-bout promotional winning streak into his rematch with O’Malley.