Daniel Cormier says Las Vegas Sphere venue’s aura could benefit Sean O’Malley against Merab Dvalishvili

UFC analyst and Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier feels Sean O’Malley will hold a distinct advantage over Merab Dvalishvili in embracing the unique aura of UFC 306.

O’Malley and Dvalishvili headline UFC 306 this Saturday at the Las Vegas Sphere. The event will mark the first major sporting competition held at the venue.

The Sphere will feature several unique elements never before seen at a UFC event. The arena has gigantic screens, and a unique seating layout, and the production of UFC 306 will tell the history of Mexican combat sports.

The various distractions of the Sphere, according to Cormier, could give O’Malley an edge over Dvalishvili on fight night.

Daniel Cormier: Sean O’Malley is more “comfortable” than Merab Dvalishvili with big environments

During a recent segment on ESPN MMA, Cormier weighed in on how the unique venue could impact O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili.

“I think it helps Sean, because he is a show. And what I expect this weekend is a big show, everything bigger,” Cormier said. “The graphics, the design, the Octagon, the seating arrangement will have to be different. Everything will feel different, big, will feel like a show. And that’s kind of what it feels like when O’Malley fights anyway!

“We were [at UFC 299] last time. Miami needs an attraction as the main event. [Israel Adesanya] the year before, Sean [this year]. He brings the show. This time, he doesn’t necessarily need to bring the show, but because he’s been such an attraction, he’ll feel more comfortable in that environment. Merab’s fights, not very long ago, he was fighting Petr Yan in the Virgin Hotel. That’s a smaller arena, [and] now he’s stepping into the Sphere to fight Sean O’Malley for the belt.”

Dvalishvili defeated former champions Petr Yan and Henry Cejudo en route to the bantamweight title shot. O’Malley earned the belt by finishing Aljamain Sterling last year, before defending it against Marlon Vera in March.