Backstage Confrontation After UFC 299 (O'Malley vs Vera)

On March 15, 2024, after Sean O'Malley defeated Marlon Vera at UFC 299, Merab Dvalishvili — present on the card as a backup/contender — approached O'Malley backstage and asked to be acknowledged as a potential next opponent, according to Dvalishvili's on-record account [1]. Dvalishvili described the interaction in an interview, saying, "I did mention, 'Hey bro, you should mention my name.' Then he’s like, 'I don’t even know who you are,' and then I’m mad again" [1]. That direct quote is Dvalishvili's retelling of what he says O'Malley said; the exchange was published by MMA Fighting and framed as a clear, dated trigger for Dvalishvili's subsequent public messaging and push for a title opportunity [1]. Immediate reaction in the press focused on the perceived disrespect: Dvalishvili characterized himself as aggrieved and publicly stated his intent to earn the shot, saying "I don’t care if he mentions my name or not but the UFC knows I’m next" [1]. The story combined a specific date, named people (Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O'Malley), and a verbatim quote that media used to explain why Dvalishvili pressed his case for a fight with O'Malley. No on-site video of the exchange was published in mainstream outlets; the account rests on Dvalishvili's interview as reported by MMA Fighting [1].

This March 15, 2024 backstage account functions as the sparking incident for the rivalry because it converted a private meet-and-greet into a documented grievance anchored to an exact quote and date [1]. The allegation of dismissal — "I don’t even know who you are" — framed Dvalishvili's public case for recognition and a title opportunity, shifting the dispute from ranking logistics into a question of personal respect and entitlement to a shot [1]. In narrative terms, the exchange made future encounters (interviews, fight bookings, in-cage outcomes) read as resolution attempts to that original slight, increasing media and fan interest in a matchup between the two fighters.

Following the published account on March 15, 2024, the storyline traveled through the MMA press as Dvalishvili repeatedly referenced the exchange while campaigning for a title fight [1]. The perceived snub became a recurring element in Dvalishvili's interviews and was later cited in pre-fight media for the UFC 306 matchup (Sep 14, 2024) [2][3]. O'Malley did not publicly dispute the exact wording in mainstream reports at the time; subsequent interactions between camps escalated in tone and culminated in an official title fight later that year. The March 15 account therefore served as a public motivator and justification for Dvalishvili's pursuit of O'Malley in the octagon [1][2].