Josh Fremd recently voiced his opinion that Merab Dvalishvili didn’t definitively defeat Sean O’Malley at Noche UFC 306.
Dvalishvili outclassed O’Malley with superior striking and dominant grappling, resoundingly securing the UFC bantamweight title via unanimous decision last weekend at the Las Vegas Sphere.
“The Machine” racked up six takedowns over the course of the 25-minute bout. He dominated large portions of the fight on the ground, effortlessly nullifying his opponent’s power striking.
“Suga” endured the most one-sided loss of his career, yet he has since contested the judges’ scorecards. In a series of posts on X, he argued that he should have been awarded the decision, claiming to have won rounds one, three, and five.
Fremd echoed O’Malley’s sentiments, questioning whether Dvalishvili truly deserved the victory…
Fremd After Reviewing O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili: ‘It Depends On What The Judges Were Looking For’
During a recent interview with MMA News’ Ryan Jarrell, Fremd shared his thoughts on the O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili title fight. The UFC middleweight prospect revealed that after rewatching the bout, he felt “Suga” didn’t showcase his full potential, and Dvalishvili’s victory wasn’t as decisive as it seemed.
Fremd also voiced concerns about the judges’ scorecards, suggesting they may not have accurately reflected the matchup.
“I thought it looked like O’Malley had an off night,” Fremd said. “After watching it again without commentary or anything like that, I don’t know. I feel like you have to beat, beat the champion, and I don’t know… after rewatching it, in the moment, it definitely seemed like Merab won with his wrestling, grappling, and dominance. But when you go back and look at it, I don’t know… it depends on what the judges were looking for and how exactly they scored it. But congrats to Merab, that was an amazing performance.”
The 30-year-old Colorado native further discussed whether “Suga” deserves an immediate rematch upon his return or if he should face another opponent first to work his way back into the title picture.
“I think, personally, since he’s such a huge star, he should get an immediate rematch,” Fremd responded. “If not, then him versus [Cory] Sandhagen would be an amazing fight to watch, so either one, I think, works.”
