Headlining UFC 306 is Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili. The bookmakers are struggling to separate the two fighters. So to help, we tell you who will win the much-anticipated showdown in our latest UFC betting picks.
The latest pay-per-view event from the MMA organization is also branded as Riyadh Season Noche UFC.
Yes, the Saudis aren’t just muscling in on boxing. The General Entertainment Authority (GEA) headed by Turki Al-Sheikh has now got a foothold in MMA having signed a deal with the UFC.
And what an event this is for the GEA to be involved in. UFC 306 promises to be a spectacular debut night for the organization.
Sean O’Malley is one of the biggest and most recognized names in the UFC. Some have even recently claimed the flamboyant American is an even bigger name than Conor ‘Notorious’ McGregor.
O’Malley is defending his UFC bantamweight title for the second time. But he is facing a formidable opponent in Merab Dvalishvili who is on a ten-fight winning streak.
Dvalishvili isn’t just here for the payday. He means business. And the bookmakers are more than giving him a chance.
The best UFC betting sites see the fight as a close call.
In the latest UFC Vegas Betting Odds, Sean O’Malley is the slight favorite to win with some bookies, while others have it even.
BetUS has O’Malley at -120 on the money line, with Dvalishvili at -110. Others have both fighters at -110 to win the contest.
More betting options for O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili from different bookmakers are available on our UFC odds table. All our odds are from the best sites for UFC betting.
Sean O’Malley has a MMA record of 18-1-0 (1 NC).
Eleven of his 20 fights have taken place in the UFC, with six of his nine wins with the promotion coming by KO. In his overall career, O’Malley has won 12 fights by KO, five by decision, and one by submission.
His one defeat within the UFC came against Marlon Vera. The fight was at UFC 252 in August 2020. Vera defeated O’Malley with a 1st round TKO.
Since the loss, O’Malley is unbeaten in seven, with six wins and one no-contest.
In his most recent fight, O’Malley gained revenge for his only career loss by defeating Marlon Vera by unanimous decision at UFC 299 in March.
The win was the first time O’Malley defended the bantamweight title that he won against Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292 in August 2023. The victory not only saw O’Malley take the belt off Sterling, it also saw him earn the Performance of the Night bonus with his 2nd round TKO finish.
The redemption win over Marlon Vera also saw O’Malley take home the Performance of the Night award.
Merab Dvalishvili has a professional MMA record of 17-4.
Dvalishvili is widely regarded to be one of the fittest fighters in the UFC. His cardio is second to none.
The 33-year-old Georgian is on a ten-fight winning streak. He started life in the UFC with back-to-back defeats against Frankie Saenz (decision) and Ricky Simon (submission).
The last defeat was against Simon, and it came in 2018. Since then, Dvalishvili has got to grips with life in the promotion, with his winning streak seeing him become the No.1 ranked fighter in the organization’s 135-pound division.
Dvalishvili’s most recent win was a unanimous points victory over Henry Cejudo at UFC 298 in February. The win was his ninth unanimous points victory in his last ten fights.
There is an obvious difference in the fighting styles of the two men.
Sean O’Malley is a big hitter who likes to end his fight with a KO. He is one of the most accurate punchers in the promotion, and he also has quick dancing feet, making him one of the hardest to catch with a big shot.
A decent combination of skills from both a fighting and entertainment perspective.
In contrast, Merab Dvalishvili is a non-stop high-intensity fighter who uses his wrestling skills to wear his opponents down.
Dvalishvili can also punch. But rather than look for KOs, the Georgian uses his boxing skills to soften up his opponents and allow him to implement his wrestling game plan.
Dvalishvili is obviously going to take the fight to the canvas. It is unlikely he will try to engage with O’Malley too much vertically. He has no real reason to do so.
The challenger has a well-established game plan. And O’Malley had better have an answer for it, otherwise his reign as champion will be over.
The fight is likely to go the distance. The one main thing we see going in O’Malley’s favor is his entertaining style. How judges score fights can be a contentious issue. And when it comes to O’Malley, he could benefit on the scorecards from his more front-foot style.
Aside from that, we feel that the most likely winner is Merab Dvalishvili.
The challenger will use his wrestling skills and grind O’Malley down. And unless there is one of the contentious decisions, we say that Dvalishvili will win the fight and end O’Malley’s reign as champion.
See below the best online betting sites in USA 2024, where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
