Merab Dvalishvili’s claims about a UFC 306 title bout were swiftly refuted by Sean O’Malley, who clarified that the fight remains unconfirmed despite Dvalishvili’s recent announcement.
The speculation arose following O’Malley’s victory over Marlon Vera at UFC 299, where he expressed interest in competing at UFC 306 to coincide with Mexican Independence Day, a nod to his partner’s Mexican heritage.
Dvalishvili has long been considered a contender for the bantamweight title, even during Aljamain Sterling’s championship reign, owing to his close friendship and training history with Sterling. However, a matchup between the two was off the table due to their relationship.
After losing the title to O’Malley at UFC 292, Dvalishvili found himself back in the title picture. Reports of his bout with O’Malley surfaced from UFC India, where Dvalishvili is currently engaged in media obligations.
Following these reports, UFC CEO Dana White appeared to confirm the matchup informally after Dvalishvili’s victory over Henry Cejudo at UFC 298. Despite this, O’Malley took to social media to deny any finalized agreement, although he expressed support for the idea.
In an Instagram story, O’Malley clarified,
“Merab at the sphere is not targeted as far as I know. I’ve been pushing for that but UFC hasn’t said anything.”
O’Malley also discussed his eagerness to book his next fight on his TimboSugarShow podcast, emphasizing the importance of fighting in the United States. While open to facing Dvalishvili in his next title defense, O’Malley noted that he prefers to compete domestically.
“I’m trying to get it booked ASAP. The only issue is, some of the next pay-per-views aren’t in the country, and I’m not fighting out of the country. But I’m ready to go, I’m wanting to book a fight ASAP… God I just want to hit Merab with that knee, boom, flatline him,” O’Malley remarked.
Sean O’Malley says he’s trying to get the fight with Merab Dvalishvili ‘booked ASAP’, but wants the fight to be in the USA:
“I’m trying to get it booked ASAP, the only issue is some of the next PPVs aren’t in the country, and I’m not fighting out of the country.
God, I just… pic.twitter.com/PhqMGgkSIH
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) April 22, 2024
Despite the back-and-forth, fans await official confirmation from the UFC regarding the status of O’Malley’s next title defense and whether it will indeed feature a showdown with Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306.
