Following his loss at UFC 306 last weekend, Sean O’Malley (18-2, 1 no contest) remained composed and is now back to his usual antics.
O’Malley’s reign as Bantamweight champion came to an end at Noche UFC when he faced his toughest opponent yet, Merab Dvalishvili. “The Machine” utilized his superior wrestling and cardio to secure a unanimous decision victory and claim the title.
The former champion, 29, accepted the defeat gracefully, a change from his previous losses to Marlon “Chito” Vera in 2020 and the no contest against Pedro Munhoz in 2022. However, O’Malley now believes he won the last two rounds of the fight against Dvalishvili, declaring himself the victor on social media.
“Suga State athletic commission BREAKING NEWS,” O’Malley tweeted. “Suga won 2 of the last 3 rounds!! Fight Over turned. Suga won!”
At UFC 306, O’Malley officially won two rounds on two judges’ scorecards. These judges scored the fight 48-47 in favor of O’Malley, giving him rounds three and five with 10-9 scores. The third judge, who scored the fight 49-46 for Dvalishvili, also awarded O’Malley round five.
Dvalishvili’s win extended his Bantamweight winning streak to 11 fights (18-4 overall). He is set to defend his title against the undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov, who holds a record of 18-0.
