Video | Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili trade words during intense staredown for UFC 306

UFC title rivals Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili traded words ahead of their showdown at Noche UFC this weekend.

On Saturday night, Sean O’Malley will defend his UFC bantamweight championship against Merab Dvalishvili. It’s a fight that has been a long time coming, with Merab beating a parade of other top contenders in order to secure his shot at the gold. O’Malley, meanwhile, has beaten everyone he’s faced in mixed martial arts, and hopes to keep that streak going.

RELATED: Merab Dvalishvili says he can “slap” Sean O’Malley’s coach and “not get deported” ahead of UFC 306

Tensions have been running high for months now. ‘Suga’ believes he’s too good for Dvalishvili, whereas the challenger feels as if he brings something different to the table. Regardless of which camp you fall into, we’re going to get some real answers when the MMA leader arrives at the Sphere in Las Vegas.

Prior to their collision, the two main eventers squared off in what proved to be an intense moment.

O’MALLEY vs DVALISHVILI! #UFC306 is LIVE SATURDAY on @ESPNPlus! @RiyadhSeason #NocheUFC pic.twitter.com/vn3UuFLmhC

— danawhite (@danawhite) September 13, 2024

O’Malley and Dvalishvili get real

It certainly seems as if both men are as dialed in as we could hope for them to be. You’d hope so, too, considering this is arguably the biggest fight of their respective careers. Some will argue that isn’t the case for O’Malley but either way, they’re treating it with the kind of respect and importance that a bout like this deserves.

Hopefully, when fight night rolls around, we’ll get a bantamweight title fight that we all remember for many years to come.

What do you believe is going to happen when Sean O’Malley defends his belt against Merab Dvalishvili this weekend? Do you anticipate that we will see a finish, or will this one go the distance? Let us know your thoughts on this and the rest of the card, BJPENN Nation!