The UFC Noche at the Sphere was supposed to be the spot where everything exploded for Sean O’Malley. Big stage. Massive production. Larger promises. Instead, the bantamweight star left Las Vegas without his title and, eventually, without the rivalry.

But time has a funny way of rewriting fights in a fighter’s head, especially when the second chapter concludes more decisively than the first. While most have moved on, Sean O’Malley hasn’t totally recovered from his original setback against Merab Dvalishvili. And now he claims to have artificial intelligence backing him up.

Sean O’Malley claims AI recognizes his win against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306

“They promised something massive at Sphere, and if I would have won it would’ve been crazy,” Sean O’Malley said on his BroMalley Show podcast. “But I f—— lost; I f—— lost. I mean, dude, 1, 3, 5, man. The narrative switching. The people know! The people know! At first, they didn’t, and then they did. They’re getting smarter.

“You put it to AI and say, ‘Here’s the fight; who won it?’ It says clear as day… ChatGPT – Sean O’Malley won rounds 1, 3, 5. F—– AI knows.”

According to the former bantamweight champion, who ran it through AI, the victory was evident. Despite this, Sean O’Malley didn’t sugarcoat the reality behind his defeat; what he does dispute is the narrative around their first fight at UFC 306. Officially, the judges saw things differently. All three scorecards favored Dvalishvili. When ‘Suga’ was submitted in the third round of their rematch at UFC 316, all doubts were removed.

However, the context lingers. After UFC 306, ‘Suga’ claimed that he entered the first fight with a torn labrum, limiting his grappling preparation. His coach even mentioned how the Sphere’s lighting affected depth perception. And days before the fight, O’Malley discovered a dead owl in his driveway, an omen he admits shook him.

Whether it’s injuries, environment, superstition, or now AI, the pattern is clear: Sean O’Malley feels the initial bout was not as decisive as history suggests. The second one? He doesn’t argue. But, in his opinion, both their legacy hinges on that first night.

Merab Dvalishvili has since lost the belt and is currently in contender limbo. ‘Suga’ bounced back with a victory over Song Yadong and stays in the title race as well. The rivalry may be 2-0 on paper. But, if you ask O’Malley—or apparently ChatGPT—the answer is not so simple, just like the former champion’s fight future.

O’Malley doubtful about being on the White House card

If legacy debates weren’t enough, the White House card has now appeared in the background. While Dana White says that the June event has already been planned, O’Malley sounds like a man who has yet to see his name on the draft. For someone who once headlined at the Sphere and carried pay-per-view shoulders, that silence feels louder than any scorecard.

“I haven’t got a call. I haven’t got a jingle,” O’Malley said on the same podcast. “I haven’t heard nothing. So, the old ‘Suga’ show might not be on the White House. No, it’s still so far out.”

It wasn’t frustration, but uncertainty. With only six or seven fights expected on the card, each spot is prime real estate. And without a belt around his waist, nothing is certain. But there surely are choices, of course.

A rematch against Petr Yan. A high-risk battle against Umar Nurmagomedov. Or anxiously waiting to watch how the title picture is reshuffled again. However, waiting may result in missing the biggest stage of the year. For a fighter still arguing about rounds 1, 3, and 5, sitting out a historic event might sting more than any judge’s scorecard.