"Welch is a helmet lmao", "Tim is so funny bro" - Fans react to corner incident footage from Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O’Malley at UFC Noche

MMA fans recently voiced their opinion after witnessing what Sean O'Malley's coach, Tim Welch said during his fight against Merab Dvalishvili at Noche UFC (UFC 306). Many fans may remember the incident from the consequences of Welch's actions.

The UFC 306 headliner between O'Malley and Dvalishvili featured a couple of unusual moments. Shortly after the beginning of the encounter, Dvalishvili's in-fight banter with O'Malley's corner caused referee Herb Dean to call for a timeout. Dean resumed the fight shortly with a stern warning for O'Malley's rival.

The moment initially got even Joe Rogan and the other commentators confused. However, Jon Anik finally decoded that Dvalishvili was bantering with Welch, which led to the timeout. A recent X update from @mma_orbit revealed that Welch had addressed Dvalishvili with a few mocking words during the incident:

"Merabie, [converting Merab to its nearest female name] you might need to be patient, bud!"

Fans presented a plethora of expressions in the comments section after witnessing Welch's action. One of them found it hilarious:

"Tim is so funny bro😭😭😭😭"

Others penned:

"Welch is a helmet lmao"

"This is funny asf lmao"

"They will never make me hate you Tim 😂"

Check out some more reactions:

Fan reactions to @mma_orbit's X update. [Screenshots courtesy: @mma_orbit on X]

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Sean O'Malley might get his much-desired rematch against Merab Dvalishvili in 2025

Sean O'Malley stepped into the UFC 306 octagon as the bantamweight champ but left just as another contender as he endured a unanimous decision loss against Merab Dvalishvili. However, 'Sugar' refuses to accept his defeat and has made multiple claims about being the rightful victor of the fight since then.

O'Malley has also expressed his desire to have another crack at the UFC bantamweight gold irrespective of whether it stays in control of Dvalishvili or someone else. However, his UFC 306 rival already seems to have a plan for their rematch.

Dvalishvili is currently scheduled to lock horns with Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 for his first title defense fight. However, in a recent interview with ESPN MMA 'The Machine' implied that he would hold the bantamweight gold even after the UFC 311 encounter.

Dvalishvili also opened up on plans to rematch O'Malley in April this year, saying:

"I want to be busy in 2025. I'm fighting early, on January 18th, and I wanna be busy. I know O'Malley wants to come back in April, I think Petr [Yan] will be ready in March. So, maybe fight Petr in March, rematch [O'Malley] in April. And whoever is the next contender, I will clear the division again."

Check out Merab Dvalishvili's comments below (19:35):