Martial Arts News

Merab Dvalishvili (17-4) wants to show the world that greatness can be achieved purely through hard work.

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Dvalishvili is riding a 10-fight winning streak, the longest in UFC bantamweight history — a run that would have earned him a title shot long ago if not for his reluctance to fight his friend, former champ Aljamain Sterling. The Georgian now gets his gold bid at long last against Sean O'Malley (18-1) in the main event at UFC 306 at the Sphere in Las Vegas on Saturday.

“The Machine” could become the second Georgian to win a UFC title after Georgian-Spaniard Ilia Topuria knocked out Alexander Volkanovski to win the featherweight title this past February. In addition to the massive implications it would have for his country, Dvalishvili also wants to set an example for hard workers. Known for his relentless cardio, Dvalishvili admits that he isn’t physically gifted and rather relies sheerly on hard work.

“It will be crazy for my country. It m…

Ray Longo has a pretty good handle on what type of skills Merab Dvalishvili brings to the table.

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Before Dvalishvili moved his training to Las Vegas, he worked with the Serra-Longo Fight Team in New York. As Dvalishvili prepares to challenge Sean O'Malley for the bantamweight crown in the UFC 306 main event on Saturday at The Sphere in Las Vegas, Longo offered some insight into what “The Machine” will have to do in order to leave with a title belt in his possession.

“He’s going to have to eat some punches to win this fight – period,” Longo said on “The Anik & Florian Podcast.” (transcription via MMAjunkie.com)

“O’Malley is a sharpshooter. If you go in there thinking you’re not going to get hit or you’re just going to do this or do that, I think that’s a huge mistake.”UFC 306: O'Malley vs. Dvalishvili Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now!

While Dvalishvili is the most dangerous wrestler O’Malley has faced thus far during his promotional t…

There were no issues on the scales Monday, as all 10 fighters slated to compete on Week 5 of Dana White's Contender Series hit their contracted marks.

The Contender Series takes place on Tuesday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a light heavyweight showdown between Navajo Sterling (206) and Phillip Latu (206). The card airs on ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Sterling, who made his pro debut in 2022, has kicked off his professional tenure with four consecutive wins. Most recently, he scored a third-round TKO against Professional Fighters League veteran Sam Kei at Hex Fight Series 31 on June 14.

Latu will take a four-fight winning streak into the matchup with Sterling. The 33-year-old Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, native is coming off a second-round TKO victory against former Contender Series competitor Dylan Potter at Cage Fury Fighting Championships 130 on March 8.

Contender Series Weigh-in Results:Navajo Sterling (206) vs. Phillip Latu (206)Kody S…

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Sean O'Malley recently recalled the journey that led to him crossing paths with longtime friend and coach Tim Welch.

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While always a standout athlete, O’Malley walked away from college football due to his skinny stature and a general disregard for authority. It was one of O’Malley’s classmates’ fathers — who was a boxing coach — that introduced “Sugar” to combat sports.

O’Malley found early success in his amateur career before suffering his first loss, which he absolutely hated. The Montana native then decided to leave his hometown to make a career out of MMA. O’Malley worked for a year at a home for mentally-challenged adults, to save up the money for the move. O’Malley paid off the loan on his Nissan Ultima, and with $2,000 more to his name, drove down to Arizona.

“I knew I could not go pro and make a living or get to where I wanted to get to living in Montana,” O’Malley said on his YouTube channel. “I saved up $2,000. I work…

Daniel Zellhuber (15-1) is confident that he’ll hand Esteban Ribovics (13-1) his first knockout loss at UFC 306.

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Zellhuber faces Argentina’s Ribovics on Saturday at the Sphere in Las Vegas. The Mexican has racked up a three-fight winning streak after suffering his lone career loss against Trey Ogden in his UFC debut in 2022. And self-confidence is one aspect Zellhuber has benefitted the most in from this winning streak. “Golden Boy” admits he even had doubts about whether he truly belonged in the UFC after his foiled debut. However, Zellhuber has since been growing in confidence to the point where he now promises to finish Ribovics for the first time at UFC 306.

“I feel that the most important thing that I’ve been finding is self confidence,” Zellhuber told UFC.com. “When you get to the UFC and your first fight is a defeat, that is in my case, I feel that that kind of breaks you mentally a little bit. But I feel that after I lost that fight I was …

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Alexa Grasso recently reacted to Merab Dvalishvili taking on the role of honorary Mexican.

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Grasso is set to defend her women’s flyweight title in trilogy clash against Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 306 on Saturday at the Sphere in Las Vegas. The card, which is also being billed as Noche UFC Riyadh Season, is the UFC’s yearly tribute to Mexican Independence Day. While the card is primarily built around Mexican fighters, the headliner doesn’t feature feature a fighter with Mexican roots. The UFC 306 main event will see Sean O’Malley defend his bantamweight title against Dvalishvili, who has taken up the role of an honorary Mexican.

The Georgian standout recently visited the Mexican city of Tijuana, where he tried out their dance form and tasted tacos.

Mexico’s own Grasso is glad to see Dvalishvili take up the role of an honorary Mexican.

“I feel it’s funny and it’s really nice that he’s doing that kind of things,” the UFC women’…

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Dana White has never been so invested in the venue of a fight card as he is in the Sphere for UFC 306.

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It all started when White attended a U2 concert with Tom Brady at the Sphere in October 2023. The UFC CEO immediately started obsessing over the idea of hosting a sporting event at the venue — which ultimately led to UFC 306 being held at the venue on Saturday.

Sean O’Malley, who is one of the biggest active stars on the roster, puts his bantamweight title on the line against Merab Dvalishvili in the main event. Meanwhile, women’s flyweight champ Alexa Grasso defends her strap against Valentina Shevchenko in the co-main event of the card, which is also a tribute to the Mexican Independence Day. However, White emphasizes that the venue is the real star of the show at UFC 306. White is so impressed by the Sphere that he is even returning there for an Eagles concert on Sept. 27.

According to White, UFC 306 will feature a movie p…

If co-headlining a card centered on a celebration of Mexican Independence Day wasn’t enough, Alex Grasso will also get to take part in the UFC’s groundbreaking effort at The Sphere in Las Vegas.

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The reigning strawweight champion, who will face Valentina Shevchenko in the UFC 306 co-main event on Saturday, is looking forward to the experience.

“It’s huge,” she told UFC.com. “Mexico is growing so fast in MMA. We always shine in combat sports, and I think that’s something great. The UFC loves how we fight. We always go forward. This means a lot. It just keeps me thinking that I have to train harder. I feel proud and honored to be there.”

Grasso already has firsthand experience seeing what The Sphere has to offer, but fighting in the venue figures to be something different entirely. During each fight, different worlds will be shown on the massive LED screen.

“I think the experience is going to be huge because I’ve been there. I went to watch a s…

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Sean O'Malley will close the show for the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s historic card at The Sphere on Saturday, but he won’t be distracted by the spectacle of it all.

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“It’s a big fight feel,” O’Malley told TMZ Sports. “It’s the first combat sporting event at The Sphere for the UFC, possibly the last for the UFC. One and done, so it’s a big deal.”

UFC 306 is expected to feature plenty of new production elements at the one-of-a-kind venue, including a movie between fights and different worlds depicted on the massive LED screen during the bouts themselves. However, when O’Malley steps into the cage to defend his bantamweight belt against Merab Dvalishvili in the evening’s headliner, his focus will be only on his opponent.

“I’m gonna show up, get into an Octagon — the same Octagon I always step into — and do what I do,” O’Malley said. “The whole presentation, the whole show, I’m really not going to enjoy it like a bystander. …

Sean Brady issued callouts to Ian Garry and Colby Covington after a win over Gilbert Burns at UFC Fight Night 242.

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Brady headlined the first UFC card of his career against Burns at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday. Brady went on to outclass Burns in all aspects to grind out a unanimous decision victory, which he acknowledges as the biggest win of his career thus far.

Brady called out Garry in his post-fight Octagon interview, further elaborating on it at the post-fight media scrum. The Philadelphia native believes Garry thinks too highly of himself. Brady also called out former title challenger Covington, whom he considers the easiest matchup in the division. Brady vows to dominate “Chaos” both on the feet and in the ground in a potential matchup.

“I think Ian just thinks that he is f—-ing God’s gift to earth and he’s not. And I feel like everyone in the sport feels the same way,” Brady said. “I mean I’ll fight him, I’ll fight Colby. I th…

Cody Durden changed his nickname shortly before submitting Matt Schnell on four days’ notice.

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Schnell was originally scheduled to face Alessandro Costa in a flyweight matchup at UFC Fight Night 242 on Saturday at the Apex in Las Vegas. However, an injured Costa was replaced by Durden and the bout was moved to bantamweight.

After getting rocked in an early exchange, Durden went toe-to-toe in wild slugfests throughout the first round before submitting Schnell with a ninja choke 29 seconds into the second stanza. Durden revealed that he didn’t have much preparation for the fight after having a few extra drinks the previous weekend. Durden spent the whole Monday lazing around, sparred on Tuesday and asked for the short-notice fight, which was granted.

“I didn’t have much preparation,” Durden said during a post-fight media scrum. “I had a few drinks on Sunday, probably more than I should. I laid in bed all day Monday, went back to the gym, sparred…

Cody Durden’s latest Ultimate Fighting Championship experience could not have been more fulfilling—personally, professionally or financially.

The 33-year-old Covington, Georgia, native filled in for Alessandro Costa on less than a week’s notice and put away Matt Schnell with a ninja choke in the second round of their UFC Fight Night 242 bantamweight showcase on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Durden drew the curtain 29 seconds into Round 2, where he countered an ill-advised takedown attempt with the fight-ending choke. The UFC awarded him a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus for his efforts.

Meanwhile, Natalia Silva and Jessica Andrade pocketed $50,000 “Fight of the Night” bonuses in the aftermath of their three-round women’s flyweight co-main event. Silva outstruck the former 115-pound champion to a unanimous decision, walking away with 30-27 marks from all three judges. She now finds herself on a remarkable 12-fight winning streak.

Finally, Jacks…