<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3tXKRo_0vPFZbx600" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3tXKRo_0vPFZbx600" width="1210" height="806" ></figure><p>Even with an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Bantamweight belt wrapped around his waist, <b>Sean O’Malley</b> <b>still doesn’t get the respect</b> he feels he deserves from the fight community.</p><p>It’s confusing.</p><p>Critics write off “Suga” as more of a social media personality than dedicated athlete. Fans believe he’ll get taken down and held down the moment he faces someone with decent wrestling. Not even beating <b>Aljamain Sterling</b> for the belt (watch it) dissuaded anyone of that opinion. In fact, Sterling even recently went on a social media rant, claiming O’Malley hadn’t really beaten anyone.</p><p>So, it’s unsurprising that O’Malley is looking forward to silencing the doubters again when he fights Aljo’s teammate and No. 1-ranked contender, <b>Merab Dvalishvili</b>, at UFC 306 this upcoming weekend (Sat., Sept. 14, 2024) in Las Vegas, Nevada.</p><p>“The Machine” is a wrestling powerhouse who blanked <b>Henry Cejudo</b> on the scorecards in his last fight, but “Suga” is unimpressed with what he’s seen.</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C_oTpoZyx1Q/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C_oTpoZyx1Q/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; 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font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div><div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"><div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div><div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"><div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div><div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div><div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div><div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"><div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div><div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C_oTpoZyx1Q/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Suga Sean O'Malley (@sugasean)</a></p></div><input type="image" src="empty.gif" style="opacity:0" onerror="s=document.createElement(&quot;script&quot;);s.src=&quot;https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js&quot;;document.body.appendChild(s);delay=function(){window.instgrm.Embeds.process()};setTimeout(delay,500)"></blockquote><p>“This fight is not going to go the way he thinks it’s going to go,” O’Malley said in an interview with UFC.com. “This fight is going to end brutal. The way he blitzes in, the ways he’s sloppy. He is slow. It is not going to end well for him. I do not understand where the confidence comes from. I know he’s beat a bunch of guys, but he’s never fought anyone like me.</p><p>“I’ve heard so many people say he is the hardest fight in the division for me ... and I disagree,” O’Malley continued. “That’ll be sweet to be able to go out there and put his lights out. That’s a good feeling. People are going to be very, very surprised when I do it.”</p><p>People were definitely shocked when O’Malley timed a perfect counter (practice <b>does</b> make perfect) to knockout Sterling in their fight. If he can pull off another sniper job on Dvalishvili, how can you deny he’s something special?</p><p>Everyone in the 135-pound division wants to get their hands on O’Malley because they think he’s easy pickings. And “Suga” wants to change that perception with his performance against Dvalishvili.</p><p>“I don’t think there’s going to be as many people calling me out,” he said. “If they are, it’s (reluctantly). Once I do what I’m going to do to Merab, people are going to realize I’m as good as I say I am.”</p><p>O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili will serve as the pay-per-view (PPV) main event of Riyadh Season Noche UFC (also known as UFC 306). Keep it locked to MMAmania.com for all the breaking news leading up to the event and all the highlights and happenings from fight night.</p><h2>LIVE! Watch UFC 306 PPV At The Sphere On ESPN+ Here! </h2><p>NOCHE UFC AT THE SPHERE! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will stage a once-in-a-lifetime pay-per-view (PPV) extravaganza on Sat., Sept. 14, 2024, to honor Mexican Independence Day during Riyadh Season, an unlikely mashup topped by the Bantamweight main event between reigning champion, <b>Sean O’Malley</b>, and sliced-and-diced No. 1 contender <b>Merab Dvalishvili</b>. In UFC 306’s championship co-headliner, current Flyweight titleholder, <b>Alexa Grasso</b>, will settle her score with fellow Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 32 coach, Valentina Shevchenko, in the final fight of their epic 125-pound trilogy. UFC 306’s PPV main card (see it here) will also feature <b>Brian Ortega</b> vs. <b>Diego Lopes</b>, <b>Raul Rosas Jr.</b> vs. <b>Aoriqileng</b>, and so much more! It’s must-watch action from “Sin City!” <b>UFC 306’s</b> start time is scheduled for <b>6:30 p.m. ET</b> (Prelims card) and <b>10 p.m. ET</b> (PPV main card).</p><p>Don’t miss a single second of EPIC face-punching action!</p><p>Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 306 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at <b>7:30 p.m. ET</b> (simulcast on ESPNews at 8 p.m. ET), before the pay-per-view (PPV) main card start time at <b>10 p.m. ET</b> (also on ESPN+).</p><p><b>To check out the latest and greatest</b> <b>UFC 306</b><b>: “O’Malley vs. Merab” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right</b> <b>here</b><b>.</b></p></div></body>

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Sean O’Malley: UFC 306 win over Merab Dvalishvili proves ‘I’m as good as I say I am’

Even with an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Bantamweight belt wrapped around his waist, Sean O’Malley still doesn’t get the respect he feels he deserves from the fight community. It’s confusing. Critics write off “Suga” as more of a social media personality than dedicated athlete. Fans believe he’ll...

Sean O’Malley: UFC 306 win over Merab Dvalishvili proves ‘I’m as good as I say I am’

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