UFC 306 — Dvalishvili Dethrones O'Malley to Win Bantamweight Title

The main event of UFC 306 on September 14, 2024 pitted champion Sean O'Malley against challenger Merab Dvalishvili at the Sphere (promotional materials and official results list the event as UFC 306) [2][3]. Dvalishvili executed a wrestling-dominant game plan, recording repeated takedowns and controlling position for extended stretches, forcing O'Malley into a defensive posture for significant portions of the 25-minute fight; MMA Fighting described Dvalishvili's approach as "trademark high-pace, wrestling-heavy" control of the action for most of the fight [3]. The official judges returned a unanimous decision for Dvalishvili with scorecards of 49-46, 48-47, and 48-47, thereby awarding him the UFC bantamweight title (official result published by UFC) [2]. Reports noted early friction between corners during the bout and that referee Herb Dean issued a warning at one point for an exchange in the cage, adding to the bout's charged atmosphere in addition to the competitive storyline [3][8]. After the decision Dvalishvili reflected on his win, saying, "I don’t spend my energy. Crazy. I feel I’m in a dream. Today, I’m the best fighter in the UFC. I proved!" as captured in post-fight coverage [3].

UFC 306 was the competitive inflection point in the rivalry because it transferred the central grievance — Dvalishvili's claim of disrespect and desire for recognition — into a definitive sporting outcome: Dvalishvili earned the title by unanimous decision and thereby gained the empirical leverage that follows championship status [2][3]. The clear, official scorecards provide an objective record that changed how both fighters could speak about each other in the media and affected matchmaking and promotional positioning in the bantamweight division.

Following UFC 306, Sean O'Malley publicly reacted to the decision in mixed ways: immediate social-media posts included an initial apology-type line in the days after the fight and then a later rewatch and dispute on September 19, 2024 where he asserted he had won rounds 1, 3, and 5 [3][4]. Media coverage of the fight highlighted Dvalishvili's wrestling control as decisive and used the official scorecards to document the title change; promotional momentum and rivalry narrative continued into a rematch cycle that culminated in a June 7, 2025 rematch at UFC 316 [2][3][6].