UFC bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley will make his second title defense against #1-ranked challenger Merab Dvalishvili in the main event of UFC 306. The five-round championship fight will occur on Saturday, September 14, at The Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada.
O'Malley (18-1-0) avenged a 2020 loss to Marlon Vera by claiming a unanimous decision win at UFC 299 in his first title defense earlier this year. The American notched a controversial win over Petr Yan at UFC 280 to earn a bantamweight title shot, and stunned Aljamain Sterling to capture the belt at UFC 292.
Dvalishvili (17-4-0) recorded unanimous decision wins over Henry Cejudo, Petr Yan, and Jose in his three previous fights. The Georgian is riding a 10-fight win streak and will be looking for his first title since winning the Ring of Combat Bantamweight Championship belt in 2017.
UFC women's flyweight champion Alexa Grasso (16-3-1) and #1-ranked Valentina Shevchenko (23-4-1) will square off for the third time in the co-main event. Grasso defeated Shevchenko to win the belt at UFC 285 last year, but the two combatants fought to a draw in a rematch six months later.
BetMGM, one of the top UFC betting sites, has the upcoming encounter even with O'Malley (-110) and Dvalishvili (-110) sporting the same odds. This highly anticipated matchup showcases the top two fighters in the bantamweight division and both have the talent to walk out of the Octagon with the title belt.
O'Malley is an elite striker with 12 of his 18 mixed martial arts wins coming via knockouts. The American lands an impressive 7.63 significant strikes per minute with an accuracy rate of 61 percent. Defensively, he absorbs 3.52 significant strikes per minute while blocking 62 percent of incoming punches.
A brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, O'Malley is adept at utilizing his defensive grappling skills to prevent takedowns. A lethal striker who prefers to keep the fight off the mat, the champion has a higher takedown accuracy than Dvalishvili. But, the challenger averages 6.43 takedowns per 15 minutes while O'Malley averages 0.35 takedowns.
Dvalishvili is one of the most prolific takedown artists in UFC history. The Georgian national mixes wrestling, judo, Sambo, and Jiu-Jitsu with a frenetic pace and endless cardio to overwhelm his opponents. The 33-year-old is also well-versed in utilizing the cross-trip double-leg takedown.
'The Machine' lands 4.5 significant strikes per minute and connects on 41 percent of his punches. His defensive skills are evident with just 2.37 significant strikes absorbed per minute while successfully defending 57 percent of incoming strikes. Dvalishvili boasts a takedown accuracy of 36 percent and an elite takedown defense that thwarts 80 percent of attempted takedowns.
One of Dvalishvili's coaches, John Wood, recently told Red Corner MMA that the challenger needed a formidable fight plan since O'Malley is a dangerous striker.
"The margin for error in this fight is very small, we're fighting a specialist who is a sniper when it comes to striking but he's also very well-rounded at everything else – he's not just a striker, he can grapple and he's a legit jiu-jitsu wrestler and the dude knows how to fight."
Although the veteran coach would not offer any hints regarding Dvalishvili's game plan against O'Malley, Wood did provide clues to how the challenger would approach the title fight.
"We have never seen Sean get pressured enough to where he breaks, but when you do start to pressure him, there is a level of, you know, he does get a little tired but he's very composed. He's a world champion for a reason so it's not like you pressure Sean and he just goes to sh*t."
Several UFC fighters were not shy about sharing their thoughts on who would walk out of the Octagon victorious on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas.
"I think he's ready," former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov said. "You know, it's like a title fight. You never know what's gonna happen.
"He's a champion. He's very good opponent. I think, if you decide, I think O'Malley as well. I want Merab, to be honest, because he's from Georgia, were neighbors.
Former UFC fighter and current MMA analyst Chael Sonnen believes that O'Malley will win the fight and continue his reign as bantamweight champion.
"The one thing that Cheeto failed to do is to be able to get close enough to Sean," Sonnen said. "It's not a matter of Sean's out scrambling. He's defending these takedowns. They're not even taking the shot. Sean does something. I don't know what it is, but there's something those guys are feeling where they're feeling like, now's not the time.
"And Merab, one thing about a man, those are good shots. He gets in close. There's a setup that he looks for. Sean is doing something, because every opponent has felt just as uncomfortable in that moment, and I think that that's gonna be the big difference. Reach is everything in this fight. Sugar, Sean is my answer."
Betting Pick: O'Malley
Betting odds for this exciting bantamweight championship clash are live on online sports betting sites in New York, including BetMGM, which has both fighters as -110 favorites. The most common bet type for this UFC fight is the moneyline, a wager on who will win the fight outright.
Considering how Dvalishvili is an elite wrestler with significant holes in his boxing game, O'Malley is our bet to retain his belt. A $100 wager on the champion or challenger at odds of -110 would net a total payout of $190.91.
The Over/Under bet is another popular type, where you wager on the number of rounds the fight will last. Given that 16 of Dvalishvili's 21 career fights have gone the distance, O'Malley will need to end the bout early. Thus, we expect the fight to end in the early rounds, and betting Under 3.5 rounds could be a winning pick.
The five-round bantamweight title fight will take place on Saturday, September 14, at The Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada. UFC fans in New York can watch the fight live on ESPN+ pay-per-view.
Despite being the reigning UFC bantamweight champion, O'Malley opened as the underdog. However, bettors have favored the popular title-holder, which has tightened the odds. BetMGM has both O'Malley and Dvalishvili as -110 betting favorites in a toss-up for the 135-pound crown.
UFC women's flyweight champion Alexa Grasso (16-3-1) and #1-ranked Valentina Shevchenko (23-4-1) will clash for the third time in the co-main event. Other fights on the undercard include a featherweight matchup featuring #3-ranked Brian Ortega (16-3-0) and #12-ranked Diego Lopes (25-6-0), a lightweight battle pitting Daniel Zellhuber (15-1-0) opposite Esteban Ribovics (13-1-0), and a flyweight tussle between Ronaldo Rodriguez (17-2-0) and Ode Osbourne (12-7-0).
Mixed martial arts fans can place bets during the fight with live UFC odds that are constantly updated based on the action inside the octagon. The most popular types of in-play wagers offered include moneyline bets on the predicted winner, the method of victory, and how long the fight will last.
UFC fans can place various bets on this exciting bantamweight title fight at BetMGM, a well-known and trusted sportsbook in New York.
