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Merab Dvalishvili delivered on his promise to dethrone UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley with a suffocating performance in the UFC 306 main event in Las Vegas. With relentless pressure and superior grappling, Dvalishvili dominated the fight, frustrating O’Malley and leaving little room for him to showcase his striking prowess.
The fight played almost exactly as Dvalishvili had envisioned, with O’Malley struggling to keep up with his opponent’s aggressive wrestling. Even when O'Malley found moments of success on the feet, Dvalishvili quickly took him back to the canvas. Across five grueling rounds, Dvalishvili controlled the action, securing takedown after takedown and wearing O'Malley down. The judges awarded him the victory with scores of 49-46, 48-47, and 48-47, marking Dvalishvili's 11th consecutive win and first UFC championship.
“Today I wasn’t feeling any different than any other day," Dvalishvili said after the fight. "I can go 15 more rounds like this. I have a belt, I win, everybody knows I dominated this guy.”
The fight began with early friction between the two corners, leading referee Herb Dean to issue a warning. Once the fight started, O'Malley used his long jab to find some success, but Dvalishvili’s wrestling quickly took over. A series of takedowns and ground control put O’Malley on the defensive, with Dvalishvili punishing him with punches and knees. Despite O'Malley landing a few notable strikes, including a front kick to the body, he couldn't shift the momentum.
Dvalishvili sealed his victory with a final takedown in the fifth round, leaving no doubt that he was the better fighter. With the belt now around his waist, Dvalishvili is open to future challenges but expressed a desire to sit down with UFC president Dana White to discuss his next steps.
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