The upcoming bantamweight title clash between Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili has been nothing short of a rollercoaster. With tension already brewing between these two warriors—thanks to ‘Suga’ snatching the title from Aljamain Sterling, Dvalishvili’s close friend and training partner—what more could go wrong? Well, as it turns out, plenty.

Dvalishvili suffered a cut above his eye in training and shared it on social media. A move that was unwise according to UFC CEO Dana White who in a recent press conference stated, “He posted it. I mean, our guys are so dumb its next level, unbelievable.” As if Dvalishvili’s injury wasn’t enough, the bantamweight champion himself dropped a bombshell recently that may have put White on alert all over again!

Sean O’Malley makes waves in the MMA world with injury scare before UFC 306

The bout between Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili is set to headline UFC 306 or ‘Riyadh Season Noche UFC’ in what could be the promotion’s most ambitious undertaking for a live event to date. Set to go down at ‘The Sphere’ in Las Vegas, the recent injury scare by Dvalishvili had caused a lot of panic amongst the MMA fandom.

Now, during a conversation with his coach Tim Welch on the ‘Timbo Sugar Show’ episode no. 301, Sean O’Malley has also sent alarm bells ringing! What did ‘Suga’ reveal about his own training camp? The conversation touched upon how the champion has been doing “more sparring than really usual” this time around. O’Malley stated, “I think well we did more sparring because I didn’t have any little nagging injuries.” Bringing up the dangers of sparring before an upcoming fight, ‘Suga’ pointed out that even if you have excellent training partners who are aware of the dangers, it’s still a significant risk. The chances of picking up an injury due to landing a kick on an elbow, pulling a muscle, or compromising your hand all go up with sparring.

Here’s the concerning part. O’Malley revealed, “This camp, I kicked a little elbow like 5-6 weeks ago, hurt my foot a little bit, healed up at two days and uh, got through sparring fresh. Feel good.” As the countdown to UFC 306 continues, one can’t help but wonder: will this fight truly go off without a hitch?

With Dvalishvili’s injury scare already sending shockwaves through the MMA community, the bantamweight champion’s revelation has added another layer of tension. After all, according to Chael Sonnen, Sean O’Malley has now become one of the biggest stars in the UFC, with all eyes cast on his upcoming fight which might even overshadow Conor McGregor!

Conor McGregor is no longer the same draw compared to O’Malley claims Chael Sonnen  

Chael Sonnen has never been one to hold back his opinions, and recently, he’s set his sights on the UFC’s brightest stars. In a surprising twist, Sonnen declared that the MMA world has a new top dog and it’s not ‘The Notorious’. Speaking on his YouTube channel, the UFC veteran shared that, “O’Malley is the biggest star in our sport right now, and ‘Red Panty Night’ is still real. Conor’s not in the sport, he’s not even licensed. Conor could not walk in and fight tonight if he wanted to.”

For years, McGregor was the undeniable king of MMA, with every appearance turning into a blockbuster event. So why the glowing praise for O’Malley? Sonnen explained that, “I feel that O’Malley, as the biggest star, who’s the hardest-working guy outside of the cage that division has ever seen, top 5 in the sports’ history—he might be No. 1—he is a top 5 in history of the hardest working guys outside of the cage.”

But what about the pressure that comes with having every eye on you? Well, Sonnen believes that this is exactly where ‘Suga’ thrives, as he has a knack for proving his doubters wrong, and perhaps that’s what makes him the biggest star in MMA today. Do you think Sean O’Malley’s fight at UFC 306 will proceed without a hitch? And do you believe he is a bigger star than Conor McGregor? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!