With the highly-anticipated fight between Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili looming at UFC 306, tensions have escalated not just between the fighters, but also among their teams. Sean O’Malley’s head coach, Tim Welch, has been vocal in his criticisms of Dvalishvili, further stoking the flames of an already intense rivalry.

O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili: A Heated Rivalry

Set to headline UFC 306 at The Sphere in Las Vegas on September 14, Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili have engaged in a series of verbal jabs both online and in person. The buildup to this fight has been marked by intense trash talk, with Dvalishvili’s recent challenge to Welch adding more fuel to the fire. Dvalishvili, in a fit of anger, challenged Welch to a street fight during a media event, a provocation that Welch did not take lightly.

Welch’s Response to Dvalishvili

In response to Dvalishvili’s challenge, Welch remarked, “I’ve not trained my whole life for a little 5’4” guy to try and punk me out. I’m 6’0” and weigh 194 pounds. We’ll see what happens.” Welch’s statements highlight his confidence in his abilities and his readiness to defend himself and his fighter, Sean O’Malley.

Welch also expressed his thoughts on the timing of Dvalishvili’s challenge, noting the Georgian fighter’s lack of strategic foresight.

“It’s probably not smart for Merab to [get in an altercation with me] during fight week. Maybe after the fight. You’ve got the biggest fight of your life, the opportunity to get a world championship,” Welch stated, suggesting that Dvalishvili should focus on the upcoming fight rather than extracurricular conflicts.

Sterling’s Perspective

Former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling has also weighed in, cautioning O’Malley and Welch about the potential consequences of their trash talk.

Sterling emphasized that a trainer should not engage in such exchanges, noting, “Your coach should not be involved in these kinds of things, talking smack about fighters”.

TRENDING:

The Fight Card

The UFC 306 card promises to be one of the most exciting events of the year. Alongside the headline bout between O’Malley and Dvalishvili for the bantamweight title, the card also features a women’s flyweight title fight between Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko, as well as other notable matchups:

UFC 306 – Fight Card and Times

Main Card

Start time 7:00 PM PDT on September 14 – Available on ESPN+

• Bantamweight: Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili
• Flyweight (Women): Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko
• Featherweight: Brian Ortega vs. Diego Lopes
• Lightweight: Esteban Ribovics vs. Daniel Zellhuber
• Flyweight: Ode Osbourne vs. Ronaldo Rodríguez

Preliminary Card

Start time 4:00 PM PDT on September 14 – Available on ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass

• Lightweight: Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Manuel Torres
• Featherweight (Women): Irene Aldana vs. Norma Dumont
• Flyweight: Kevin Borjas vs. Edgar Chairez
• Flyweight (Women): Yazmin Jáuregui vs. Ketlen Souza
• Bantamweight: Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Aori Qileng