Merab Dvalishvili dominates Sean O'Malley, seizing the title in a one-sided battle.

 Sep 15, 2024, 11:37 AM

LAS VEGAS -- Merab Dvalishvili delivered a dominant unanimous decision victory over Sean O'Malley, ending "The Suga Show" and capturing the UFC bantamweight title in the main event of Noche UFC at Sphere on Saturday night.

Dvalishvili overwhelmed O'Malley with constant pressure, scoring six takedowns and controlling over 10 minutes of the fight, preventing the champion from unleashing his knockout power. Despite a highly anticipated event, the fight was a one-sided affair.

"I knew he was good, but I made him look average," said Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC). "I'm the best bantamweight in the UFC."

O'Malley (18-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC), in his second title defense, struggled to gain any momentum, managing a few body kicks late in the fight. Despite the 49-46, 48-47, and 48-47 scorecards, Dvalishvili maintained control throughout.

Known for his relentless pace and wrestling, Dvalishvili secured his first takedown just three minutes into the bout, forcing O'Malley into defensive positions he had rarely experienced in his UFC career. Though O'Malley managed to get back on his feet, Dvalishvili continually dragged him down and applied pressure.

Dvalishvili's control extended into the second round with a slick duck-under takedown and ground-and-pound, even releasing a guillotine choke in the final seconds. O'Malley briefly capitalized with a flurry of punches, but it wasn't enough to shift the momentum.

Rounds 3 and 4 followed a familiar pattern, with O'Malley starting to catch Dvalishvili's timing but unable to stop the relentless Georgian from securing more takedowns.

The only real suspense came in the final moments when an O'Malley front kick to Dvalishvili’s midsection seemed to land hard. With the pro-O'Malley crowd rallying behind him, O'Malley tried to push for a dramatic finish, but it was too little, too late.

O'Malley skipped the postfight press conference, but addressed his loss on X, writing, "Over promised, under delivered. Sorry. Love you guys."

Dvalishvili, 33, who started his UFC career with two losses, has now won 11 straight fights, never letting a judge score against him. This victory held personal significance, as his teammate Aljamain Sterling was knocked out by O'Malley in 2023. Dvalishvili’s next title defense will be against undefeated No. 2-ranked bantamweight Umar Nurmagomedov.

O'Malley’s loss ended his seven-fight unbeaten streak and temporarily halted his quest for superstardom, akin to Conor McGregor’s rise.

The event was a spectacle at the Sphere, a $2.3 billion venue with cutting-edge visuals. UFC President Dana White promised it would be "the greatest live combat sports show anybody has ever seen." The production budget for the night exceeded $20 million, according to White.

"We showed everyone tonight what’s possible at the Sphere," White said, predicting the event would garner Emmy Awards.

When asked if the fights lived up to the massive production, White responded, "You can’t control the fights. They are what they are. But I’m not going to let that drive me crazy."