Tag: UFC 306

Sean O’Malley Didn’t Pull Out Of UFC 306 Despite Injury Because ‘Merab Sucks’ 

Former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley says withdrawing from his title defense opposite Merab Dvalishvili was never an option. O’Malley was forced to relinquish his grip on the crown at 135 pounds in his second defense, which headlined last month’s UFC 306 (Noche UFC) pay-per-view inside the Sphere in Las Vegas. Six months on from […]

Continue Reading Sean O’Malley Didn’t Pull Out Of UFC 306 Despite Injury Because ‘Merab Sucks’  at MMA News.

Former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley says withdrawing from his title defense opposite Merab Dvalishvili was never an option.

O’Malley was forced to relinquish his grip on the crown at 135 pounds in his second defense, which headlined last month’s UFC 306 (Noche UFC) pay-per-view inside the Sphere in Las Vegas.

Six months on from an emphatic five-round display to exact revenge on Marlon “Chito” Vera in Miami, “Sugar” had a more difficult 25-minute experience when sharing the Octagon with Dvalishvili.

The Georgian utilized his relentless pressure and smothering grappling game to secure the decision victory, extending his winning run to 11 straight fights and completing his championship ambitions in the process.

In the aftermath of the result, O’Malley revealed a long spell on the sidelines awaited him, having fought through a torn labrum at UFC 306.

O’Malley Doesn’t Regret Fighting Through Injury, Expects To ‘Whoop’ Dvalishvili In Rematch

During an appearance on the debut episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, O’Malley reflected on the disappointing end to his short title reign in Las Vegas last month.

In terms of the injury he competed with, “Sugar” insisted that withdrawing and delaying his second defense was not a possibility, partly down to his confidence when it came to having superiority over “The Machine.”

“I had a torn labrum. 10 weeks before the fight, I f*cking snapped my labrum. It is what it is. … It was unfortunate,” O’Malley said. “No, (I didn’t consider pulling out). UFC Noche, f*cking Merab sucks. There was no reason to pull out.

“No, (I don’t regret not pulling out). Because I’m going to whoop Merab’s ass, and it’s going to make it that much sweeter when I beat him the second time,” O’Malley continued. “Overall, I had a good camp. Way better camp than the Aljo camp. The rib injury was a lot harder to train with than the torn labrum. The labrum, it’s just pain. … I was able to do a lot more.”

O’Malley has little doubt that a second dance with Dvalishvili lies in his future.

And with some uncertainty surrounding the Georgian’s expected title defense against Umar Nurmagomedov coming to fruition before the Dagestani takes a break for Ramadan, “Sugar” is hoping for a faster-than-predicted recovery in order to be a available for a possible rematch with the champ in March or April 2025.

Continue Reading Sean O’Malley Didn’t Pull Out Of UFC 306 Despite Injury Because ‘Merab Sucks’  at MMA News.

Kamaru Usman Tells Merab Dvalishvili To ‘Embrace’ Umar Nurmagomedov Challenge: ‘I Had Colby Covington’

Following his bantamweight title win in the main event of UFC 306, the promotion was clearly looking to set Merab Dvalishvili up for his first title defense. Joe Rogan asked the new champion what he thought about the match-up with Umar Nurmagomedov, which is likely next for him. Despite the broadcast capturing Nurmagomedov’s reaction live […]

Continue Reading Kamaru Usman Tells Merab Dvalishvili To ‘Embrace’ Umar Nurmagomedov Challenge: ‘I Had Colby Covington’ at MMA News.

Following his bantamweight title win in the main event of UFC 306, the promotion was clearly looking to set Merab Dvalishvili up for his first title defense.

Joe Rogan asked the new champion what he thought about the match-up with Umar Nurmagomedov, which is likely next for him.

Despite the broadcast capturing Nurmagomedov’s reaction live from the Sphere, Dvalishvili didn’t answer the question that had been posed to him.

He instead spoke about having a conversation with Dana White first and later, in his post-fight press conference, stated once again that in his opinion, Deiveson Figueiredo is more deserving of the next title shot.

Kamaru Usman Advises Merab Dvalishvili To Face Umar Nurmagomedov Challenge Head-On

In an interview with Dvalishvili on the Pound 4 Pound podcast, Kamaru Usman had offered some words of advice to the title challenger before UFC 306 got underway.

The former welterweight champion said that the Georgian fighter should look to capitalize on his time as champion by securing the biggest fights possible, meaning that he should welcome a fight with Nurmagomedov rather than pointing to alternatives.

During his post-event recap alongside Henry Cejudo, Usman once again stressed why he thinks that Dvalishvili should be pushing for this fight.

Having already made the case that it’s the biggest fight out there for him right now, Usman also believes that this kind of challenge could elevate the new champion.

Every great fighter needs great rivals to push themselves further than before and “The Nigerian Nightmare” believes that Nurmagomedov offers that.

He referenced his own welterweight title reign and how his two tough fights against Colby Covington were highly significant moments in his career that helped take him to another level in terms of popularity and influence within the organisation.

“Merab is not afraid but I know he’s worried about a guy like Umar and sometimes those are the guys that really put you on that next level. Merab might come out there and look like freaking the best we’ve ever seen. So you, and I needed that dance partner. Colby Covington gave me that and so that’s what Merab, at this point, I think if I had any advice for Merab, it’s too embrace that. It’s too embrace that. You’re right, when they did ask him that question, he kinda danced around it.”

Read also: Sean O’Malley’s Coach Reveals What He Said To Enrage Merab Dvalishvili At Noche UFC 306

Continue Reading Kamaru Usman Tells Merab Dvalishvili To ‘Embrace’ Umar Nurmagomedov Challenge: ‘I Had Colby Covington’ at MMA News.

Jon Anik’s Verdict On UFC 306 Main Event: ‘Guys Like Merab Dvalishvili & Belal Muhammad…’

The sport of MMA moves so fast that even after a major event like UFC 306, there is very little time before everyone has moved on to the next major talking point. Merab Dvalishvili winning the UFC bantamweight title in the main event of the promotion’s second annual Noche UFC already feels like it happened […]

Continue Reading Jon Anik’s Verdict On UFC 306 Main Event: ‘Guys Like Merab Dvalishvili & Belal Muhammad…’ at MMA News.

The sport of MMA moves so fast that even after a major event like UFC 306, there is very little time before everyone has moved on to the next major talking point.

Merab Dvalishvili winning the UFC bantamweight title in the main event of the promotion’s second annual Noche UFC already feels like it happened months ago.

His performance against Sean O’Malley inside the Sphere answered some very intriguing questions that fans had going into the fight.

Not only was Dvalishvili able to dominate the fight with his grappling when he did close the distance, he was able to avoid taking significant damage for the majority of the duration.

Jon Anik Says Fighters Like Merab Dvalishvili & Belal Muhammad Don’t Get Enough Credit

In a recent interview with James Lynch for Middle Easy, UFC commentator Jon Anik gave his thoughts on Dvalishvili’s performance.

He looked to really emphasize how it wasn’t just the grappling of the challenger at UFC 306 that was impressive, it was his overall game.

Dvalishvili was constantly moving and giving O’Malley something new to think about and thanks to his unrelenting gas tank, that continued across all five rounds.

Anik also made reference to Belal Muhammad’s title win at UFC 304 where of course, the biggest takeaway was his grappling success, but that didn’t tell the whole story of the fight where his striking was also very effective.

“A lot of people might have fancied Umar (Nurmagomedov) against either guy and maybe now they’re not so sure just given how dominant Merab was and guys like Merab Dvalishvili and Belal Muhammad are never going to get credit for what they do as strikers. If they have a nice jab or a nice point of entry but man, the total package of Merab, like the dude needs to be tested for science right? And yeah, I’m saying that for comedic value but what is inside of there?”

Read also: UFC Commentator Highlights Julianna Peña’s Key Quality That Will Serve Her Well At UFC 307

Continue Reading Jon Anik’s Verdict On UFC 306 Main Event: ‘Guys Like Merab Dvalishvili & Belal Muhammad…’ at MMA News.

Valentina Shevchenko Surprised At Number Of Alexa Grasso Backers Pre-UFC 306: ‘When Pro Fighters Say That…’

UFC Women’s Flyweight Champion Valentina Shevchenko was shocked to be on the wrong side of so many predictions from fellow fighters prior to her victory inside the Sphere earlier this month. Shevchenko began her second reign on the 125-pound throne at the UFC 306 (Noche UFC) pay-per-view event in Las Vegas on September 14, where […]

Continue Reading Valentina Shevchenko Surprised At Number Of Alexa Grasso Backers Pre-UFC 306: ‘When Pro Fighters Say That…’ at MMA News.

UFC Women’s Flyweight Champion Valentina Shevchenko was shocked to be on the wrong side of so many predictions from fellow fighters prior to her victory inside the Sphere earlier this month.

Shevchenko began her second reign on the 125-pound throne at the UFC 306 (Noche UFC) pay-per-view event in Las Vegas on September 14, where she finally got the better of Alexa Grasso at the third time of asking.

Having previously been submitted by the Mexican to lose the belt and failed to regain it in a split draw, “Bullet” turned to her smothering wrestling game to get the job done in lopsided fashion when the pair completed their trilogy.

The way the bout played out was a stark contrast to what most had expected, with some branding it among the toughest championship fights to predict so far this year in the lead-up.

That view left plenty edging to the side of the defending champion ahead of UFC 306, which evidently left Shevchenko baffled…

Shevchenko Shocked To See UFC Peers Picking Against Her

During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Shevchenko took a moment to address the number of people — specifically other professional fighters — who had leant the way of Grasso in their pre-fight picks.

While the newly crowned champ would have expected such takes from the fanbase, she expressed surprise at how many of her UFC peers dismissed her chances of unseating the Mexican on fight night.

“Surprisingly for me, many UFC fighters, many pro fighters, when they had their picks before our third fight, they said, ‘Grasso…oh Grasso.’ It was kind of one-sided,” Shevchenko said. “It was a little bit surprising for me. I would take it from people who don’t know much about martial arts, and they just want to see (stupidity) in the striking, like (finding out) who has a stronger chin, a stronger head, and it doesn’t involve too much technique, too much fighter IQ, too much of the character of the fighter.

“I would take it from those people, but when pro fighters say that, it was like, ‘Oh my God. There’s something wrong with this world,’” Shevchenko continued. “That’s another reason I had to show domination. I had to show I’m superior in every field.”

Regardless, Shevchenko proved her doubters wrong inside the Sphere to commence a second rule of the flyweight division. She’ll now set her sights on adding another defense to her résumé, which will likely need to come at the expense of the charging Manon Fiorot.

Continue Reading Valentina Shevchenko Surprised At Number Of Alexa Grasso Backers Pre-UFC 306: ‘When Pro Fighters Say That…’ at MMA News.

Raul Rosas Jr. Explains Call For UFC 306 Bonus: “The People Showed Up Because Of Me”

Bantamweight prospect Raul Rosas Jr. got proceedings off to a strong start for the Mexican fighters at UFC 306. The 19-year-old earned his fourth win inside the Octagon, third in a row, by defeating Aoriqileng via unanimous decision. It was a fight where Rosas needed to dig deep in the third round to come away […]

Continue Reading Raul Rosas Jr. Explains Call For UFC 306 Bonus: “The People Showed Up Because Of Me” at MMA News.

Bantamweight prospect Raul Rosas Jr. got proceedings off to a strong start for the Mexican fighters at UFC 306.

The 19-year-old earned his fourth win inside the Octagon, third in a row, by defeating Aoriqileng via unanimous decision.

It was a fight where Rosas needed to dig deep in the third round to come away with the victory after his opponent took the second on all three scorecards.

His grappling sealed the win and in his post-fight interview, the rising contender made a bold claim when speaking to Joe Rogan.

Rosas called for a performance bonus only for several highlight reel finishes and a legitimate Fight of the Year contender to follow later on in the night.

Raul Rosas Jr. Says He Could Have Earned A Bonus For Filling The Sphere In The Opening Fight Of The Night

In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Rosas explained why he chose to call for a performance bonus during his post-fight interview.

He stated that part of his call for an extra 50k was instinct having finished his three other wins inside the Octagon in style.

Though he agrees that he didn’t deserve the bonus after how the rest of the night played out, Rosas does make one case for why he could have gotten it.

In most other cards that take place in front of a full-size audience, the venue usually has a fair few empty seats until later on in the evening.

This wasn’t the case at UFC 306 this past weekend where the fans made sure that they were in their seats ready for the opening contest in the early prelims.

Rosas believes that he was a big part of that, having been given the role of curtain jerker.

“It was just heat of the moment you know like since I’m used to getting finishes and asking for it after, it was just like, it just came out. But either way, the way that my argument to say that I would deserve it, like don’t get me wrong, it was a unanimous decision so obviously I’m okay with not getting it because I should have got a finish but if I would have got it, my argument be that the people showed up because of me, you know.

“The event was packed because of me. Like I’m saying because they were there since early because I was on the prelims. I’m not trying to be cocky but a lot of people tune in to watch me fight so with them putting me on the first fight on the prelims, I made a lot of people show up and tune in on their TVs right away so that would be my argument for the 50Gs but honestly, I agree I didn’t do enough.”

Read also: Sandhagen Gives Verdict On ‘Chess Match’ Between Dvalishvili & O’Malley

Continue Reading Raul Rosas Jr. Explains Call For UFC 306 Bonus: “The People Showed Up Because Of Me” at MMA News.

Alexa Grasso Makes A Promise After Losing Title To Valentina Shevchenko At UFC 306

Having been unseated from the flyweight throne at Noche UFC (UFC 306) this past weekend, Alexa Grasso is vowing to bounce back stronger. Grasso met Valentina Shevchenko once again in Saturday night’s co-main event inside Las Vegas’ Sphere, hoping to get the better of the MMA legend for a second time and close out their […]

Continue Reading Alexa Grasso Makes A Promise After Losing Title To Valentina Shevchenko At UFC 306 at MMA News.

Having been unseated from the flyweight throne at Noche UFC (UFC 306) this past weekend, Alexa Grasso is vowing to bounce back stronger.

Grasso met Valentina Shevchenko once again in Saturday night’s co-main event inside Las Vegas’ Sphere, hoping to get the better of the MMA legend for a second time and close out their trilogy on top.

That didn’t come to fruition, however, with “Bullet” instead leveling the score in their most one-sided fight thus far.

After falling to a surprise submission first time around and subsequently failing to regain the belt in a tight rematch that was ruled a draw, Shevchenko left no doubt about her superiority at UFC 306, using a smothering wrestling attack to pitch a shutout on the scorecards.

Given the difficulty many had predicting a winner in the lead-up, Grasso’s uncompetitive display came as a surprise. And reacting to the result herself, the Mexican has pledged better next time out.

Grasso Thanks Fans, Promises Improvements

A couple of days on from the end of her reign, which came at the UFC’s second annual celebration of Mexican Independence Day, Grasso made her first statement in relation to the result.

The now-former champ thanked her fans for their support and unsurprisingly admitted that things went far from how she had hoped.

That’s something she promised to rectify next time out when she attempts to work her way back toward the flyweight gold.

“I want to thank you for all your support ? It wasn’t the night I wanted,” Grasso wrote in Spanish. “I’ll get back to training and I promise the next fight will be much better.”

While Grasso looks to rebound in her return down the line, Shevchenko will have her sights on cementing her second divisional rule and establishing the kind of dominance she was able to find first time around.

It would appear likely that the first step in that pursuit comes against Manon Fiorot in early 2025. The Frenchwoman has established herself as a top contender by winning all seven of her UFC fights to date, including over Rose Namajunas and Erin Blanchfield. She was also in Las Vegas last week to weigh in as the backup fighter for the UFC 306 co-main event.

Continue Reading Alexa Grasso Makes A Promise After Losing Title To Valentina Shevchenko At UFC 306 at MMA News.