For a while now, it’s been looking like Sean O’Malley’s next bantamweight title defense would be against that tough dude Merab Dvalishvili. We’ve all been waiting to hear when this big fight would actually go down.
But just when we thought we had that answer figured out, things got confusing again. After the UFC 301 event aired in India, Dvalishvili went on the Ultimate Guide to UFC show and straight up announced he’ll be challenging O’Malley for the belt at UFC 306 on September 14th.
🚨 Merab Dvalishvili reveals that he will be fighting Sean O’Malley at #UFC306 at the Sphere
🎥 @UFCIndia #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/arRASKhRsf
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) May 5, 2024
This fight would take place at that brand new Sphere arena in Las Vegas. However, O’Malley himself says not so fast. The champ claims this Dvalishvili fight isn’t a done deal yet, even though he definitely wants that matchup to happen.
So who knows what’s really going on behind the scenes? All we know is O’Malley and Dvalishvili are probably going to throw down sooner or later. Whether it actually takes place at the big Sphere opening event in Vegas is still a big mystery right now.
A potential blockbuster bantamweight title clash between champion Sean O’Malley and surging contender Merab Dvalishvili appeared to have a date after Dvalishvili announced he’d challenge O’Malley at UFC 306 on September 14th at the new Sphere arena in Las Vegas.
O’Malley Calls Out Dvalishvili Over Claimed UFC 306 Title Fight Booking
However, O’Malley quickly disputed Dvalishvili’s claim, stating the fight is far from official at this point. While O’Malley admitted he has pushed for the matchup to be made, the conflicting statements have muddied the waters on whether this hugely anticipated title fight will indeed headline the Sphere’s grand opening event.
Sean O’Malley responds to reports of him and Merab Dvalishvili fighting at The Sphere
📸 IG / @SugaSeanMMA #UFC #MMA https://t.co/53fTZKwovN pic.twitter.com/Oe9JHtaNtw
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) May 5, 2024
Merab Dvalishvili looked every bit the deserving title challenger after that masterclass performance against Henry Cejudo. The Georgian machine has been unstoppable, racking up win after win since those first two UFC stumbles.
Dana White has even admitted Dvalishvili passed on title opportunities before out of respect for his friend and teammate Aljamain Sterling’s reign. On the other side, we’ve got the new face of the bantamweight division – Sean O’Malley. After years of being hyped as the next big thing, Suga finally seized UFC gold by dethroning Sterling. He solidified his star status by avenging that lone blemish against Chito Vera.
