T.J. Dillashaw expressed his surprise at Merab Dvalishvili’s impressive performance in his debut UFC title bout against Sean O’Malley at UFC 306. Dvalishvili claimed the 135-pound championship from O’Malley with a clear unanimous decision victory. Dillashaw, a former UFC bantamweight champion, commended Dvalishvili’s persistent pressure and noted O’Malley’s perceived weaknesses during the fight.
Although O’Malley was defeated, Dillashaw believes that O’Malley possesses the necessary skills to defeat Dvalishvili in a potential rematch by using strategic feints and footwork to counter takedown attempts. Dvalishvili has now triumphed over several former champions, sparking speculation that his first title defense could be against the undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov.
O’Malley’s loss marked his second unsuccessful title defense, with his previous defeat coming in a TKO due to injury against Marlon Vera in 2020. O’Malley had obtained the title by defeating Aljamain Sterling in August 2023 and successfully defending it against Marlon Vera in March.
