5 takeaways from Noche UFC 306: Sean O'Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili

The UFC hit the Las Vegas Sphere for a major pay-per-view last night. To say the event was special would be an understatement.

Noche UFC 306: Sean O'Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili might not have had a card full of classic fights, but as a unique event, it'll live long in the memory.

Naturally, there were plenty of talking points thrown up from last night's event, meaning fans will be discussing this one for a while.

Here are five takeaways from Noche UFC 306: Sean O'Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili.

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#5 For once, Dana White's hyperbole was on the money

UFC CEO Dana White is a polarising figure in the eyes of many fans. Part of this has to do with his constant use of hyperbole, and his tendency, at times, to play down the star power of his own fighters.

Earlier this week, both of these tendencies came home to roost. White claimed that the star of Noche UFC 306 would actually be its venue, Las Vegas' Sphere.

The promoter promised that the Sphere - a venue marketed around its immersive video and audio capabilities - would give fans an event like no other, mixing fights and movies together.

For once, though, White wasn't exaggerating. Unlike 2020's much-vaunted 'Fight Island' events - which turned out to be exactly the same as events produced elsewhere - last night's show really did offer something different.

Wild graphics surrounded the fans in attendance, with the time between each bout dedicated to telling the story of Mexico and its history of combat sports.

While the fights on offer weren't always outstanding, the event will be remembered as probably the most unique in MMA history, and there's no denying that the UFC made the most of the venue.

Whether they'll visit the Sphere more often - or will save it for one-off events like this - remains to be seen. For now, though, credit must go to White and company. They produced something very special last night.

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#4 Daniel Zellhuber and Esteban Ribovics epitomised the ideal Mexican fighting spirit

Throughout last night's event, much was made of the idea of 'Mexican fighting spirit'. Whether that concept is real, of course, is up for debate.

However, what cannot be disputed is that the lightweight fight between Mexico's Daniel Zellhuber and Argentina's Esteban Ribovics absolutely epitomised the stereotype. They produced a classic war that will live long in the memory and feature in countless highlight reels to come.

The fight was razor-close through the first two rounds, and to be fair, to suggest they had a chin-first brawl would be doing them a disservice. Both men were highly technical in the early going, exchanging clean punches, combinations and low kicks.

However, in the third round, that approach went out of the window. First, Zellhuber dropped 'El Gringo' with a spinning elbow. When he failed to follow up, though, the Argentine unleashed hell on him.

He stunned 'Golden Boy' with a heavy right, and then spent most of the remainder of the round chasing him across the octagon, throwing all he had at him as Zellhuber went into survival mode.

In the end, it was probably the wild onslaught that won Ribovics a split decision. In reality, though, neither man came away looking like a loser, and when fans think of Noche UFC 306, this will probably be the fight that instantly comes to mind.

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#3 Diego Lopes is ready for a featherweight title shot

While two new champions were crowned at last night's event, the fighter who saw their stock rise the most was probably Diego Lopes.

The Brazilian-born adopted Mexican came into his clash with former UFC featherweight title challenger Brian Ortega as an underdog. However, that idea quickly evaporated early in the first round.

Lopes eviscerated 'T-City' with a hellacious combination, dropping him worse that even Max Holloway had been able to. While Ortega showed toughness to survive the barrage, it set the tone for a shockingly one-sided fight.

Lopes absolutely outclassed his foe, beating him down everywhere, cutting through his vaunted guard with ease and destroying his leg with low kicks. If anything, it was a miracle 'T-City' lasted the distance.

Judging by this showing, Lopes is absolutely ready for a shot at the featherweight title and ought to be matched with the winner of the upcoming Ilia Topuria vs. Holloway fight, which is set for UFC 308 in October.

Given that nobody had really handled Ortega like this before, it'll be impossible to write off Lopes in a title fight, too. We could be looking at an uncrowned champion.

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#2 Valentina Shevchenko is back on top at 125 pounds, but for how long?

It wasn't always that much fun to watch, but nobody could deny that Valentina Shevchenko stepped up in a big way against Alexa Grasso last night. After posting a shutout, the native of Kyrgyzstan is now UFC flyweight champion again.

Her takedown-heavy approach and willingness to push the pace left Grasso with little answer. While the Mexican did attempt some submissions, none of them were close, and when the bout went five rounds, the outcome was a formality.

Technically, 'The Bullet' is now tied with Grasso in their trilogy at 1-1-1. However, as Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier pointed out last night, after such a one-sided affair, there'll be no appetite for a fourth bout.

Despite this, quite how long Shevchenko can stay at the top of the division this time remains to be seen.

Sure, she outwitted the only fighter to ever beat her at 125 pounds last night, and already holds eight wins in the octagon as a flyweight. This time, though, there's a new breed of contenders for her to face.

Can 'The Bullet' hold off younger, hungrier fighters like Manon Fiorot and Maycee Barber? Only time will tell. For now, though, her win last night should elevate her overall status. There can be no doubt now - in terms of female fighters, she's second only to Amanda Nunes.

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#1 For the first time in his UFC career, Sean O'Malley seemed to freeze up

Noche UFC 306's headline bout saw the long-awaited bantamweight title fight between Sean O'Malley and Merab Dvalishvili.

It was always going to be a tough fight to pick, but in the end, it turned out to be surprisingly one-sided.

Dvalishvili basically imposed his will on O'Malley from the off, forcing 'Sugar' onto his back foot and settling into his usual rhythm of takedowns, strong strikes and plenty of top control.

The champion did attempt a comeback of sorts in the third round, preventing Dvalishvili's takedowns, and that continued into the fourth with a couple of clean strikes.

However, 'The Machine' soon turned the tide. He took O'Malley down again, continued to abuse him on the ground with some heavy blows, and kept the pace up in the fifth to cement himself as the new titleholder.

While this was an excellent showing from the Georgian, quite what happened to O'Malley is definitely worth questioning.

Throughout his UFC career, dating back to his 2017 debut, he'd always been able to handle the pressure and step up to the occasion.

Last night, though, it felt more like 'Sugar' froze in the spotlight. Dana White agreed, labeling his performance "flat", while O'Malley himself admitted he "over-promised and under-delivered" in a post on X.

It feels likely that O'Malley will probably be pushed back into another title bout quickly, although he might not get an immediate rematch. Whether this fight was an outlier, only time will tell. Regardless, if he wants to become champ again, he needs to fight better than this.