Underdogs have been stealing the spotlight lately, shaking up the last three UFC PPVs. UFC 304 had Leon Edwards dropping to Belal Muhammad, followed by UFC 305, where Israel Adesanya was taken out by Dricus Du Plessis. The latest shocker came at UFC 306, with Sean O’Malley getting completely outclassed by Merab Dvalishvili. ‘The Machine’ dominated all five rounds, serving up a decisive win against the former champ. Despite the upset, Dana White lowkey defended ‘Suga’s loss.
‘The Machine’ put on his best performance ever at UFC 306, showing off both his wrestling and striking skills. On the other hand, O’Malley was clearly struggling in every round. UFC President Dana White pointed out the same, saying ‘Suga’ wasn’t his usual self and had an off night. White said,
“Literally everybody reached out to me that night and said Sean O’Malley didn’t look like himself… Not to take anything from Merab, but I mean everybody felt that way.”
A ton of fans and MMA stars were riding with O’Malley, but they all ended up seeing a major upset. Now that Dvalishvili is the Bantamweight champ, he’s already getting called out by Umar Nurmagomedov for a title defense. However, Dvalishvili doesn’t see ‘The Young Eagle’ as a worthy opponent and wants to talk to White before making any official moves.
Merab Dvalishvili Uncertain About Facing Umar Nurmagomedov for Title Defense
‘The Machine’ is facing challenges from all directions for his title defense, with Umar Nurmagomedov being the likely top contender. However, Dvalishvili thinks Deiveson Figueiredo deserves the title shot more. In the post-fight octagon interview, when Joe Rogan asked Dvalishvili about facing ‘The Young Eagle’ next, Dvalishvili didn’t seem very interested, saying:
“I respect and love Dana White, whatever he wants. Now I’m champion, I want to be close. I want him to know me more better. I respect him. Dana White changed my life. Now look at me, I’m the UFC champion!”
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Dvalishvili also accused Umar of benefiting from Khabib Nurmagomedov’s support to achieve success quickly. Now, with ‘The Young Eagle’ aiming for a title shot and ‘The Machine’ showing little interest in fighting him, Umar’s future looks uncertain. Fans are left guessing about the potential matchups ahead.
Also Read: Sean O’Malley Reveals He Sustained Major Injuries That Are Likely To Keep Him Out For A ‘Long Time’
