UFC 306: How 'Canelo' is motivating Sean O'Malley to beat Merab Dvalishvili

UFC bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley will attempt to defend his belt against Georgia's Merab Dvalishvili in the main event of UFC 306 on September 14. The card will mark the UFC's debut in the new Las Vegas Sphere, but it will not be the only major combat sports attraction in "Sin City" on the night.

Across town, at the T-Mobile Arena, boxing superstar Saul "Canelo" Alvarez will attempt to defend his super middleweight title against Edgar Berlanga.

Speaking on a recent edition of his podcast with coach Tim Welch, O'Malley explained how competing on the same night in the same city as Canelo has provided "an extra little layer" of motivation to perform against Dvalishvili.

"When it comes to Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, who are [the fans and media] talking about?" O'Malley said. "Are they talking about Canelo? Are they talking about the boxing fight?

"Are they talking about the absolute dominating, beautiful, masterful, masterclass performance I put on Merab and the viral knockout that came with it? Or are they talking about a 36-minute Canelo boxing fight that was kind of fire. That’s what excites me, the competition of who are they talking about Sunday, Monday, Tuesday? Who stole the headlines?"

While Canelo has long stood out as one of the biggest combat sports starts on earth, O'Malley has become a superstar himself in recent years, particularly since becoming a UFC champ.

The Arizona native won the UFC bantamweight title with a knockout of Aljamain Sterling in 2023, and tallied his first title defense with a lopsided decision win over Marlon "Chito" Vera earlier this year.

Dvalishvili has also gained popularity of late, largely on the strength of his 10 consecutive victories in the Octagon — a streak that includes wins over the likes of Jose Aldo, Petr Yan and Henry Cejudo.

While O'Malley and Dvalishvili have traded unending trash talk in the lead-up to their UFC 306 fight at the Sphere, O'Malley seems to consider the Georgian a real challenge.

"I feel like I love this matchup," he said. "He’s got a 10-fight win-streak. It’s a big fight."