The lead-up to UFC 306’s main event took an unexpected turn as tensions flared between bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili and associates of champion Sean O’Malley. The incident, which occurred outside the Sphere in Las Vegas, involved Dvalishvili and his close friend, former champion Aljamain Sterling, in a heated exchange with two men identified as O’Malley’s companions.
Eyewitnesses reported that the altercation began while Dvalishvili was engaging with fans, taking photos and signing autographs. According to Sterling, two individuals, whom he described as O’Malley’s “best friends,” approached and began acting disrespectfully towards Dvalishvili.
Sterling, quick to defend his teammate, confronted the men, leading to a verbal sparring match that was captured on video and quickly circulated on social media. In the footage, Sterling can be seen gesticulating animatedly while exchanging words with the two men, one of whom Sterling later referred to as “Schitty,” apparently a podcasting partner of O’Malley’s.
“Those guys weren’t fans,” Sterling clarified on social media. “They walked all the way back over to be pricks, while Merab goes out of his way to greet the fans and take pics. No class from his friends.”
This incident added fuel to the already smoldering rivalry between the Sterling-Dvalishvili camp and O’Malley. The bad blood stems from O’Malley’s victory over Sterling at UFC 292, where he claimed the bantamweight title. Since then, O’Malley and Dvalishvili have engaged in a war of words across various platforms, with each side taking jabs at the other through interviews and social media.
At UFC 306, bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley defended his title against Georgia’s Merab Dvalishvili in a highly anticipated fight. The bout was marked by an unusual start when Dvalishvili paused to complain about excessive coaching from O’Malley’s corner, leading the referee to intervene. Throughout the fight, Dvalishvili dominated with multiple takedowns and aggressive ground control, while O’Malley struggled to keep up. Despite a few striking moments from O’Malley, particularly in the later rounds, Dvalishvili’s relentless pressure and grappling secured him a unanimous decision victory with scores of 49-46 and 48-47 twice.
