The most anticipated bout at UFC 306 in Las Vegas, held at the Sphere, finally came to a conclusion, with Merab Dvalishvili securing a victory over Sean O’Malley in the Bantamweight Championship main event. The fight was decided by unanimous decision (49-47, 48-47, 48-47), with Dvalishvili showing a significant advantage in strikes. O’Malley entered the fight with just one loss and 18 wins, while Dvalishvili had four losses and 17 wins.
In the first round, both fighters were sizing each other up. Notably, O’Malley’s corner attempted to distract Dvalishvili, which the referee quickly warned them to stop. O’Malley landed the first dangerous blow, causing Dvalishvili’s nose to bleed. In the final seconds of the first round, Dvalishvili attempted a submission but failed, though he still won the round 10-9.
The second round saw Dvalishvili dominate, keeping O’Malley on the ground for most of the round. It ended with Dvalishvili landing some ‘kisses’ on O’Malley’s back, causing a bit of confusion. The third round was more of the same, with Dvalishvili outstriking O’Malley.
In the fourth round, Dvalishvili focused on taking O’Malley to the ground again, which he succeeded in doing, but was unable to finish the fight. In the fifth round, O’Malley spent the first two minutes trying to land significant strikes in the center of the octagon. However, his efforts were in vain as he ultimately lost the fight.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 14: (L-R) Merab Dvalishvili of Georgia fights Sean O’Malley of the United States for the bantamweight title during UFC 306: Riyadh Season Noche at Sphere on September 14, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
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