The tension between Sean O’Malley and fellow fighters Aljamain Sterling and Merab Dvalishvili is growing as UFC 306 draws near. O’Malley took the bantamweight title from Sterling at UFC 292, sparking friction that has extended to Dvalishvili, set to face O’Malley for the title in the main event.
The rivalry escalated at a promotional event where O’Malley and Dvalishvili exchanged heated words. Sterling backed his teammate Dvalishvili, criticizing O’Malley’s coach Tim Welch for his involvement. While O’Malley questioned Dvalishvili’s weight class, Sterling highlighted Dvalishvili’s achievements and called for respectful conduct in the lead-up to the fight.
Sterling stressed the significance of professionalism and courtesy during fight week in anticipation of a fair competition between the athletes. UFC 306 is set to take place on Sep. 14 at The Sphere in Las Vegas.