The Bigger Picture | UFC 306: O'Malley vs Dvalishvili

But we’ve been saying someone would be able to deal with the non-stop pressure and indefatigable approach of both Muhammad and Dvalishvili for some time, and thus far, it hasn’t happened, so maybe it’s time to stop doubting their ability to get the job done?

Many expected O’Malley to be able to batter Dvalishvili as he came forward and assumed he would dispatch the challenger much in the same way he did Aljamain Sterling, but it wasn’t until the fifth round, when “The Machine” had already effectively wrapped up the win, that he was able to land anything that remotely bothered the streaking new champion.

Dvalishvili, like Muhammad in July, continues to show that you don’t have to be flashy to be effective, and that outstanding fundamentals and a non-stop motor are more than enough to carry you to the top of the mountain in the UFC.

The Ambassador This Sport Needs

Watching Valentina Shevchenko’s effortless transition from English to Spanish to Russian to Thai during her post-fight interview with Joe Rogan on Saturday night was a reminder that the now two-time flyweight champion is the best possible ambassador for the sport of mixed martial arts on the planet today.

“Bullet” is an all-around standout and someone that should continue to be held up as the gold standard for what it means to be a champion of this sport both inside and outside of the Octagon.

Women’s Bantamweight is Getting Mighty Interesting

Norma Dumont wrapped up the prelims on Saturday by delivering her best overall performance in the UFC — a three-round, unanimous decision win over former title challenger Irene Aldana in a fight where her superiority was never in question.

From the outset, Dumont was the quicker, more effective fighter, coming out of the blocks alert and attacking against the notoriously slow-starting Aldana and never allowing her to really work back into the contest. Though the worst of the cuts the Mexican veteran left with was caused by a clash of heads, Dumont certainly added to Aldana’s myriad bumps, bruises, and bleeding wounds, as well, outlanding her by 90 significant strikes over the course of 15 minutes while increasing her output and success rate round-after-round.

That’s now five straight wins for the 33-year-old Brazilian, who should replace Aldana in the Top 5 once the rankings update this week, and the victory comes at a perfect time, as the women’s bantamweight division is primed to be front and center next month at UFC 307 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Just under three weeks from now at Delta Center, not only will Raquel Pennington defend her title against returning former champ Julianna Pena, but top contenders Kelten Vieira and Kayla Harrison will also battle it out to determine who is next in line to challenge for the title. That leaves Dumont and the last woman to beat her inside the Octagon, Macy Chiasson, as the next two in the pecking order, with recent title challenger Mayra Bueno Silva not too far behind, either.

This feels like the kind of mix-and-match group where you could put any combination of these seven fighters together and get competitive, interesting fights, so it’s going to be fascinating to see how things shake out next month in SLC and then going forward as the next round of matchups take shape.

Quick Hitters

Diego Lopes remains one of the most fascinating stories in the sport after posting his fifth straight win by besting Brian Ortega on Saturday. He then hustled out to the Octagon to corner Grasso in her bout with Shevchenko, which just adds to the undeniably likability he possesses. In 18 months, he’s worked his way into the Top 5 and title contention in the featherweight division.

Esteban Ribovics is very clearly one of those fighters you have to tune in to see every time his name is on the call sheet because the Argentine is seemingly allergic to being in a boring fight. He and Daniel Zellhuber paired off in the Fight of the Night at Noche UFC, with Ribovics earning his third straight victory in a thrilling, back-and-forth battle that should carry him further up the divisional ranks next time out.

Ignacio Bahamondes made Manuel Torres pay dearly for lunging forward with long, looping shots, punishing him with counter right hands that sent him crashing to the canvas in a heap on two different occasions. “La Jaula” is starting to come into his own with consecutive first-round stoppage wins, trains alongside Muhammad, and is another of the “can’t-miss” talents to emerge from Dana White’s Contender Series in recent years.