Just hours before UFC 306 kicks off, featuring the bantamweight title fight between Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili, several press conferences have been held where the fighters have exchanged a range of comments. Among these exchanges, O’Malley has delivered a particularly strong message to his opponent.
During one of the recent press conferences, which provided numerous details about the historic fight, Sean O’Malley seized the opportunity to issue a sort of threatening message to Dvalishvili. He stated, “I’ve got to go out there and knock this dude (Dvalishvili) out with my hands. I do that a few more times, that fight is inevitable.”
O’Malley’s comment came in response to a journalist’s question about whether he would have a potential fight against Gervonta Davis. Dvalishvili didn’t remain silent and retorted, “Keep dreaming, keep dreaming,” adding, “Nobody has knocked me out yet. Nobody. Keep dreaming. You didn’t knock out ‘Chito’ Vera.”
It’s worth noting that despite the tough comments and warnings exchanged between the two fighters, Dvalishvili has a less impressive UFC record compared to O’Malley, with 10 wins and 2 losses, while O’Malley holds a similar record but with one less defeat. In terms of their overall MMA records, O’Malley leads with 18-1, compared to Dvalishvili’s 17-5.
Recent Fights for Sean and Merab
Sean O’Malley’s last three fights were all victories, against Marlon Vera (UFC 299), Aljamain Sterling (UFC 292), and Petr Yan (UFC 280). His fight against Marlon Vera occurred in 2024, with his most recent knockout coming against Sterling.
On the other hand, Merab Dvalishvili recently won against Henry Cejudo by unanimous decision in three rounds (UFC 298). He also defeated Petr Yan (Fight Night) and his third most recent win was against Jose Aldo (UFC 278).
UFC 306: Where and When
The event, known as ‘Riyadh Season Noche UFC,’ will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday, September 14. The first fight of the night will feature Raul Rosas Jr. versus Aoriqileng. In addition to the main event between O’Malley and Dvalishvili, the women will compete for the Women’s Flyweight title, with Alexa Grasso facing Valentina Shevchenko.