Published on: September 15, 2024, 02:22h. 

Last edited on: September 15, 2024, 02:22h.

Merab Dvalishvili is the UFC’s new bantamweight champion, having viciously seized the championship from Sean O’Malley to conclude UFC 306, the inaugural sports event staged at the Las Vegas Sphere.

Dvalishvili dominated O’Malley by unanimous decision in the five-round main event on Saturday night, essentially overpowering his opponent while utilizing his five-inch-shorter height as an advantage to evade O’Malley’s signature knockout punch.

O’Malley had successfully defended his title against Marlon Vera at UFC 299 in March. However, Dvalishvili, riding a 10-fight winning streak, proved to be too much, extending it to an 11-fight streak.

He was the favored -120 to win.

Valentina to Victory

Earlier in the evening, former champion Valentina Shevchenko provided equal exhilaration by regaining her women’s flyweight title from Alexa Grasso, who had taken it from her last March.

Shevchenko, widely acknowledged as one of the top female fighters in MMA history, executed a career-high eight takedowns.

After a contentious split draw last September, the UFC opted to give Shevchenko one more opportunity, and she capitalized on it. The decision was unanimous.

The Sphere did its Sphere magic, engulfing the fighters in breathtaking high-tech visuals during the 10-match event, which was dubbed Riyadh Season Noche UFC for Mexican Independence Day.

However, despite enhancing the drama of the fighters’ Octagon entrances, the video, which UFC CEO Dana White had to spend $20 million on producing (just for this one event!), diverted attention from the spectacles happening on the mat.

White himself has affirmed that the UFC will not be returning to the iconic Vegas orb.

Additionally, at UFC 306, White disclosed that UFC 309 would showcase Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic, Michael Chandler vs. Charles Oliveira, and Bo Nickal vs. Paul Craig at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 16.

No $20 million videos will be necessary for that.