UFC 306 LIVE: Sean O’Malley dominated by Merab Dvalishvili at ‘Noche’ event in Sphere
Re-live the action, after Sean O’Malley lost his bantamweight belt to Merab Dvalishvili in Las Vegas
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Your support makes all the difference.In the main event of UFC 306 on Saturday, Sean O’Malley lost the men’s bantamweight title to a dominant Merab Dvalishvili at the Sphere in Las Vegas.
“Sugar Sean” O’Malley was making his second defence of the belt, having won it from Aljamain Sterling with a picture-perfect knockout last August, before retaining it with a masterclass against Marlon Vera in March.
But the American star faced a stern test on Saturday, as he encountered a challenger on a 10-fight win streak. Georgia’s Dvalishvili entered the Sphere on the back of three straight victories against former champions: Henry Cejudo, Petr Yan and Jose Aldo.
And Dvalishvili added O’Malley’s name to that list by outwrestling the striking specialist for the best part of 25 minutes. O’Malley had his moments, including one scything elbow that cut open his challenger, but there was no doubt about the result when the scorecards arrived – with all of them in Dvalishvili’s favour: 49-46, 48-47, 48-47.
And in the co-main event, Valentina Shevchenko outpointed Alexa Grasso to regain the women’s flyweight belt, having previously lost to the Mexican and drawn with her in their first two meetings.
Re-live updates and see all results from UFC 306, below.
UFC 306 LIVE: Brian Ortega vs Diego Lopes
Round three
That front leg of Ortega is proving very troublesome for the crowd favourite. He just tried planting it and slightly buckled.
Nice exchange in the pocket, Ortega’s hands shouldn’t be written off and he is doing damage to Lopes. But unsurprisingly, Ortega wants to take this to the ground and with two minutes to go, he’s been largely unsuccessful.
With the fight still on the feet, Lopes hits a perfect left square on the nose of T-City - it hurts him. Then as the fight enters the closing stages, Lopes gets another shot at a finish, dropping Ortega before raining down ground strikes. The buzzer goes and there’s no question of the result.
Diego Lopes def. Brian Ortega via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27).
“You’re number three now,” says Dana White.
UFC 306 LIVE: Brian Ortega vs Diego Lopes
Round two
Another nice heavy connection by Lopes to kick into gear in the second. However, he seems a little slower than he did in the first - a lot of energy would have been burned from that early exchange and he’s breathing heavy.
Ortega goes for the single leg but Lopes defends it well. The Brazilian is now finding great success with the low kicks - a big welt has formed behind the shin of Ortega.
Another leg kick echoes around the sphere and this one leaves Ortega on his backside. T-City wants Lopes to join him on the mat but Lopes isn’t biting.
This was a better round for Ortega, yes. But Lopes remains in control it’s almost certain that Ortega will need a finish if he has any chance of winning this one.
UFC 306 LIVE: Brian Ortega vs Diego Lopes
Round one
Thirty seconds in and Lopes hits a NASTY combination to seriously hurt Ortega. T-City is up against the fence and gets slammed onto the mat as Lopes looks for the TKO.
Ortega, who has been busted open above the left eye, wants to keep things on the ground but is eventually forced back to his feet.
If Ortega is anything, it’s durable. He eats a couple more hooks but is hardly in a critical condition as he finishes the first round. Never write off an Ortega comeback.
UFC 306 LIVE: Brian Ortega vs Diego Lopes
Time for our first featured bout of the night. After their UFC 303 fight fell through, Brian Ortega will share the Octagon with featherweight’s newest hot commodity Diego Lopes.
Of course, these two were scheduled to scrap at the tailend of June, but Ortega pulled out the very last second due to illness. It brought about an unprecedented turn of events as Dan Ige filled in mere hours before the card got underway.
No issues with weight or wellbeing this time around. Let’s hope for an absolute barnburner.
UFC 306 LIVE: Daniel Zellhuber vs Esteban Ribovics
Round three
Beautiful elbow from Zellhuber before the pair trade powerful right hands. Zellhuber then bags a knockdown with that same elbow but Ribovics quickly refinds his feet.
Ribovics returns fire and delivers an incredible overhand right to put Zellhuber on the ropes. Queue the madness. The punches are flying in and somehow Zellhuber is staying on his feet.
Wobbly legs and all, Zellhuber is being chased around the cage but manages to regain some composure and connects with some strikes of his own. They’re now wailing on each other and the crowd is going crazy.
The seconds are ticking but both are still throwing and they’re still landing. Utter unadulterated chaos in the centre of the Octagon, everything is being left on the mat. The buzzer goes and the pair receive a fully warranted standing ovation. To the scorecards...
Esteban Ribovics def. Daniel Zellhuber via split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29).
One of the fights of the year. Max Holloway is somewhere smiling right now.
UFC 306 LIVE: Daniel Zellhuber vs Esteban Ribovics
Round two
Zellhuber comes out strong with a straight right getting through. Ribovics looked to be having trouble with the reach disadvantage but begins to experience joy and delivers a handful of hard shots, evoking a reaction of concern from the partisan crowd.
Both are now landing combination after combination with Ribovics especially doing damage in the second.
This is a striking clinic. Anyone’s to win going into the last.
UFC 306 LIVE: Daniel Zellhuber vs Esteban Ribovics
Round one
Both trade jabs early, Zellhuber goes for a headkick that’s well blocked by Ribovics. The Argentinian then hits a nice overhand low kick combination, but nothing to shake his opponent just yet.
Zellhuber switching up his stances as usual and echoes a body kick off Ribovics’ sternum. The home crowd favourite is doing well at not letting his opposite number get too close.
Heavy exchange at the end as Zellhuber lands two glancing shots at the head and one at the body.
UFC 306 LIVE: Daniel Zellhuber vs Esteban Ribovics
Time to sink our teeth into some lightweight action as Daniel Zellhuber and Esteban Ribovics prepare to go to war.
Making waves at 155 is easier said than done given just how STACKED the division is - but under the lights of the Sphere, can either of these South American fighters rise to the occasion and stamp their mark as one to watch?
UFC 306 LIVE: Ronaldo Rodriguez vs Ode Osbourne
Round three
Where has Osbourne got this energy from? He’s recovered very well given the fact he looked completely done at the end of the second.
Fires a big shot that connects on Rodriguez, only for the Mexican to come back with his own left hook. Osbourne acknowledges the strike and Rodriguez follows up with a pair of spinning wheel kicks in quick succession - both miss.
Osbourne shoots for a first takedown but Rodriguez snuffs it. Osbourne succeeds at the second time of asking but it nearly leads to his demise, with Rodriguez threatening to lock in a kimura.
One last takedown attempt for Osbourne and Rodriguez spraws and ends up on top. It allows him to rain down a barrage of ground strikes during the final seconds of the round. A great impression to leave for the judges, that could very well bring him victory on the scorecards...
Ronaldo Rodriguez def. Ode Osbourne via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27, 29-27).
A sublime fight to kick off the main card. Rodriguez could have been down and out within the first 30 seconds, but he came back and put on an absolute clinic.
UFC 306 LIVE: Ronaldo Rodriguez vs Ode Osbourne
Round two
Osbourne once again starts the round on top and has Rodriguez in a dangerous position up against the fence. However, a phenomenal Rodriguez reversal allows him to take the back.
Osbourne is face down on the ground and caught in a body triangle, with Rodriguez laying in strikes from above. After such a gruelling first round, ‘The Jamaican Sensation’ looks completely out of energy and is just trying to survive.
With 20 seconds left, Osbourne finally finds his way out of the body triangle and gets on top. He needs to salvage something from the round quickly and lands a flurry of heavy shots on the ground - but he doesn’t have the time to truly put Rodriguez in trouble.
Osbourne has to be basically dragged to the corner as the buzzer goes. He is shattered.
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