A Wild Night and a New UFC Champion

The fight between Dvalishvili and O’Malley began with an unusual incident when referee Herb Dean paused the match to address trash-talking directed at O’Malley’s coach, Tim Welch. Welch was warned for excessive coaching, though it did not seem to affect O’Malley, who landed several notable strikes before being taken down by Dvalishvili.

Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

O’Malley quickly returned to his feet but was taken down again at the end of the first round. Round two saw more grappling success for Dvalishvili, with O’Malley committing a foul by grabbing his opponent’s glove. Dvalishvili added to the spectacle by attempting to kiss O’Malley, prompting a warning from the referee. The round concluded with O’Malley landing a significant punch after Dvalishvili turned his back while being reprimanded.

In round three, O’Malley improved, countering Dvalishvili’s wrestling and keeping the fight standing, where he excelled. The fourth round saw Dvalishvili gain control, cutting O’Malley over the eye and securing a dominant takedown. O’Malley’s strongest showing came in the final round as he hurt Dvalishvili with body kicks, but he was unable to capitalize, and the fight went the distance.

The judges scored the fight 49–46, 48–47, and 48–47 in favor of Dvalishvili, who was crowned the new bantamweight champion. In his post-fight interview, Dvalishvili expressed confidence in his performance, stating, “I wasn’t feeling any different than any other day… I dominated this guy.” He went on to declare himself the best fighter in the UFC, celebrating his victory and new title.

Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images