Dana White just pulled off what might be the most creative sports broadcasting and live experience any sports fan can get with the recent UFC 306. From Joe Rogan to Jeff Bezos, everyone inside the Sphere was in awe of the arena, knowing it might be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. When Merab Dvalishvili was asked about the event, he didn’t seem that hyped at all and kept it cool, saying he felt pretty normal about it. On the flip side, Sean O’Malley’s reaction was on a whole different level. He was straight-up mind-blown, giving everyone a jaw-dropping moment.
After clinching the bantamweight title from O’Malley at UFC Noche, Dvalishvili made an appearance on Daniel Cormier’s YouTube channel alongside his teammate and former champ, Aljamain Sterling.
During the conversation, Cormier asked Dvalishvili about his experience headlining such a massive event, which left many—including Cormier himself—impressed with the atmosphere. Adding to that, DC even mentioned how Suga seemed awestruck by the Sphere event. When asked if he felt the same way, Dvalishvili took a different stance. He revealed that he didn’t share in the “wowed” reactions that others, including O’Malley, had.
Dvalishvili said, “No I didn’t (had jaw dropping reaction)…For me, I was excited- I’m the main event at Sphere and I was happy but next day I was just focused on fighting. I had fun looking at the people around me. I don’t really go wow. And no I didn’t had (Sean O’Malley) like reaction. I was talking normally in the locker room.”
Instead, the newly crowned champ says that he felt relatively normal despite the overwhelming energy from the fans. He was hyped up the night before, but when fight night arrived, he stayed cool, kept his head in the game, and focused on winning the title. That might be why ‘Suga’ fought differently—he probably drew energy from the fans. Meanwhile, the Georgian came in and walked away with the belt with his cool mind.
Dana White Felt Sean O’Malley Looked Flat Against Merab Dvalishvili
Talking about a loss of concentration, even UFC Boss Dana White admitted that this wasn’t the usual O’Malley fight. He lacked the force on the fight day with which he usually knocks out his opponent. According to White at the press conference, ‘Suga’ seemed out of touch and appeared completely ‘flat’ against Dvalishvili.
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White noted that O’Malley’s performance was uncharacteristically low, lacking the explosive energy and precision that typically define his fights. Even ‘Suga’ admitted that he overpromised and underdelivered, apologizing to fans for his disappointing loss.
Meanwhile, the new bantamweight champ has two options for his upcoming fight: Devison Figueiredo and Umar Nurmagomedov. On the other hand, O’Malley has stated he will take a break, reevaluate everything, and make his comeback in about a year. Until then, the question remains: who will he fight next, with some fighters already stepping up to challenge him?
