Is Sean O’Malley About to Lose His Bantamweight Title at UFC 306?
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has a home in Las Vegas, but on September 14, when UFC 306 takes place, the promotion heads to the Shepre in Paradise for the first time in its history. What better way to mark this exciting first than having two championship belts on the line: the men’s bantamweight championship and the women’s flyweight championship?
First up is the men’s UFC Bantamweight Championship bout between reigning champion Sean O’Malley and challenger Merab Dvalishvili, which promises to be explosive. Belt holders usually enter championship bouts as the favorite to retain their title, but not this time. O’Malley is a clear underdog at UFC 306 as he attempts his second title defense.
The Striker Vs. The Grappler
O’Malley has an impressive professional mixed martial arts (MMA) record of 20 fights, 18 wins, one defeat, and a no-contest. The Montana native debuted in the UFC in December 2017 in The Ultimate Fighter: A New World Champion Finale, defeating Terrion Ware via unanimous decision. Three more victories followed before O’Malley lost to Marlon Vera at UFC 252 in the first round.
The man known as “Suga” has been unbeaten since that unexpected loss. He has a string of victories to his name, including clinching the UFC Bantamweight Championship with a knockout win over Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292 in August 2023. In March 2024, O’Malley successfully defended his title against Marlon Vera, the only man who has stopped him in his career by unanimous decision and earning the Performance of the Night bonus.
Nine of O’Malley’s fights have ended in the first round thanks, partly, to his ferocious and accurate striking ability. He lands 62% of his significant strikes and an average of 7.67 per minute. Both impressive statistics rank him first and second in the UFC.
Dvalishvili is the number-one ranked bantamweight fighter in the UFC, and most UFC experts and fans believe the Georgian will have too much for O’Malley. What Dvalishvili lacks in striking power, he makes up for in extreme cardiovascular fitness and muscular endurance. Dvalishvili fights relentlessly and attempts many takedowns for the duration of the fight, utilizing his supreme judo skills to deadly effect.
The man known as “The Machine” lost his first two UFC battles but is on a run of ten straight victories; all but one was decided by the judges.
O’Malley has a five-inch height and four-inch reach advantage over Dvalishvili, but that counts for nothing if he finds himself on his back struggling to get out of Dvalishvili’s vice-like grip. The smart money is going on this title fight going the distance, and Dvalishvili becoming the new UFC Bantamweight champion.
Completing an Intriguing Trio of Championship Fights
Most combat sports fans want to see the best fighters take on different opponents, so it is clear who is the best. While this is true, UFC fans are tingling with excitement about the upcoming UFC Women’s Flyweight Championship bout between Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko despite them facing each other twice in the past 12 months.
Grasso and Shevchenko first clashed at UFC 285 in March 2023. Grasso was a heavy underdog, with everyone expecting Shevchenko to make light work of the Mexican. However, Grasso latched onto her opponent towards the end of the fourth round and applied a face crank, resulting in Shevchenko tapping out and relinquishing her title.
A rematch was scheduled for September 16, 2023, at UFC Fight Night: Grasso vs. Shevchenko 2. Although both women fought valiantly, neither managed to gain the upper hand. The fight went the distance, and the judges scored the fight 48-47, 47-48, and 47-47, resulting in a draw.
Shevchenko is the superior fighter. She holds a 2nd dan black belt and a Master of Sports in Taekwondo, an International Master of Sports in Muay Thai, a Master of Sports in boxing and kickboxing, and a black belt in judo. However, the Kyrgyzstan national is 36 years old and has competed in almost 200 fights across different disciplines during her career. That is a lot of mileage, especially when she has absorbed 2.11 significant strikes per minute during her UFC career.
The bookmakers are struggling to split these two fighters, so expect the fight to last all five rounds.
What is the Sphere?
The Sphere is an engineering marvel that opened on Sands Avenue, Paradise, on September 29, 2023. Construction cost $2.3 billion, and when you examine the project’s finances, it is easy to see where that money went.
As its name suggests, the Sphere is a sphere-shaped building that stands 366 feet tall and 516 feet wide, making it the largest spherical building in the world. It has seating for 18,600 people, and every seat has high-speed internet access.
The venue has a 160,000-square-foot LED screen that wraps around the interior. The resolution of that screen is 16K, four times that of a typical 4K home setup! The exosphere is also an LED display comprising 1.23 million puck-shaped LEDs, each containing 48 diodes. It really is a sight to behold and is so typical of Vegas.
Concerts have been the Sphere’s primary focus since its opening. Legendary band U2 was in residence from September through March, with American rock bands Phish and Dead & Company also featured. From September 20 through January 25, the Eagles will perform 20 spectacular shows at the venue.
The Sphere’s owners and operators have long planned for the venue to host sporting events. In June, it hosted the 2024 National Hockey League (NHL) Draft, but UFC 306 on September 14 marks the first time a live sporting event has taken place within the Sphere; it should be spectacular.