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Main Event Spotlight | UFC 306: O’Malley vs Dvalishvili
Breaking Down UFC 306’s Main Event Between Bantamweight Champion Sean O’Malley And No. 1 Contender Merab Dvalishvili This Saturday At Sphere In Las Vegas
This Saturday, the revolutionary Sphere venue in Las Vegas will host UFC 306, a once-in-a-lifetime event featuring a main event clash between UFC superstar and bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley and No. 1 ranked Merab Dvalishvili.
O’Malley is coming off one of his best performances to date, when he settled the score against Marlon Vera, the only man to ever defeat him inside the Octagon. Through 25 minutes, the champ racked up the second largest significant strike differential in bantamweight history at +141.
That record is second to only himself, when he recorded a +160 significant strike differential in his Fight of the Night-earning TKO of Kris Moutinho in 2021. That record sits third all-time across all UFC weight divisions.
Order UFC 306: O'Malley vs Dvalishvili | How To Watch UFC 306 In Your Country
But it’s not just those two performances that skew the numbers. O’Malley consistently out-strikes his opponents with pinpoint accuracy. Through 12 UFC fights, O’Malley’s accrued a +4.24 significant strike differential, the most in the history of the 135-pound division. He also throws 7.67 significant strikes per minute, the fourth highest in UFC history.
Full Fight | Sean O'Malley vs Marlon Vera
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Full Fight | Sean O'Malley vs Marlon Vera
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While O’Malley doesn’t hold back on volume, being one of just four fighters to connect on over 200 significant strikes in more than one fight, he doesn’t sacrifice his accuracy; he lands strikes with 62 percent accuracy, the second most in bantamweight history.
But opposite him this Saturday is Dvalishvili, a wrestler who uses his relentless pace and cardio to wear down his opponents. It’s a style that’s helped “The Machine” win each of his last 10 bouts, the second longest active streak behind the pound-for-pound best, UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. While the Georgian believes he can hurt O’Malley on the feet, it’s safe to assume he’d prefer to close the distance and take this fight to the ground if he’s able.
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Realistically, that would be the smart thing to do, because as good as O’Malley is on the feet, Dvalishvili finds equal success once he gets a hold of his opponents. In 11 UFC fights at 135 pounds, Dvalishvili’s landed 66 takedowns, a bantamweight record. His takedown rate of 5.84 takedowns per 15 minutes is also the most all-time at bantamweight. Not only that, but Dvalishvili’s secured 10 or more takedowns in four UFC fights which, you guessed it, is also a UFC record.
Dvalishvili doesn’t just take his opponents down to get a tick on the judges’ scorecards; he does so with purpose. Throughout his UFC career, he’s recorded one hour, 4 minutes and 2 seconds of control time, which sits second all-time at 135 pounds behind former bantamweight champion, and Dvalishvili’s good friend, Aljamain Sterling. Dvalishvili has spent 37.8 percent of his total Octagon time controlling his opponents.
But don’t assume this means Dvalishvili just latches onto his opponents without inflicting any damage. While his unmatched cardio and wrestling are a thing to behold, Dvalishvili incorporates striking very well, both on the feet and in the form of ground-and-pound.
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Against former bantamweight champion Petr Yan, Dvalishvili landed 147 significant strikes and 11 takedowns, making him just the fourth fighter in UFC history to finish a fight with over 100 significant strikes and 10 takedowns (Colby Covington, Kamaru Usman, Cain Velasquez). Let’s not forget that Dvalishvili attempted 49 takedowns in his fight with Yan, proving he has some of the best cardio in the entire promotion.
What makes the main event of UFC 306 so intriguing is the stark contrast in their styles. Ultimately, the outcome will likely hinge on which fighter can keep the fight in their world for the full 25 minutes—or less.
UFC 306: O'Malley vs Dvalishvili took place live from Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada on September 14, 2024. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
