Tag: UFC 306

Irene Aldana questions commission’s handling of massive cut at UFC 306: ‘My health was on the line’

Ex-UFC title challenger Irene Aldana reacts to suffering arguably the worst cut in UFC history in her bout against Norma Dumont.

[autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag] had a rough night at the office at UFC 306, and although a lot was unpreventable, some other things were not, at least according to the former UFC title challenger.

Unfortunately for Aldana (15-8 MMA, 8-6 UFC), she suffered arguably the worst cut in UFC history during her decision loss to Norma Dumont in her women’s bantamweight bout at Sphere in Las Vegas last month. It was a gruesome gash that went from the bottom of her eyebrow all the way to her hairline and appeared to be half an inch wide. This nasty cut stemmed from an accidental, but illegal, headbutt towards the end of Round 2.

Although these things happen in the chaotic nature of the fight game, Aldana claims she was hit more than once with headbutts.

“It wasn’t just the only one headbutt, there were multiple in that fight,” Aldana told MMA Junkie in Spanish in an exclusive interview. “I’ve seen that in other similar cases, the referee calls the fighter’s attention. ‘Watch the headbutts, watch the headbutts.’ I think in this situation, there was no warning from the referee.”

But apart from claiming the headbutts were a repeating offense that went unnoticed by referee Herb Dean, Aldana left with several questions about the handling by officials after the clash of heads that caused the massive cut.

“I’ve seen fights stopped for smaller cuts, at least for the doctor to get called to check the cut to see if the fighter should continue,” Aldana said. “Honestly, I thought the approach from the cutman and the commission in the corner was very strange.

“I don’t remember the doctor checking on the cut, and I didn’t get Vaseline. The cutman was putting his weight onto the cut, and I feel like that opened it more. I remember having to posture firmly so I wouldn’t go back because his body weight was on me. I do think it would’ve been best to check the replay and have the doctor check on the cut. On that aspect, I do think it was poorly managed.”

Upon checking the fight replay, it does appear that Aldana didn’t get Vaseline on her cut to stop or reduce the bleeding and help further punches slide off the face easier, thus preventing the cut from worsening. Aldana got a swab and towel pressed on the cut for the entirety of the 60 seconds awarded in between rounds.

Once Round 3 started, the full five minutes ran continuously. Despite having a downpour of blood on her face and body, a doctor was never brought in to check on Aldana, which she found surprising.

“It was risky to continue after seeing he cut and the videos, I mean you could basically see my skull,” Aldana said. “It was a risk, I could’ve gotten a facial paralysis or had big consequences of it, but that’s how things played out, and fortunately, I’m OK. I do hang on to the fact that I got a small chance to go finish the fight. I’m happy with that. But on the way things were handled by the commission, I do have my doubts.”

Aldana has mixed feelings about how things were handled. She knows there was a health risk, but at the same time, the fighter in her was happy she got to display her heart and toughness to the MMA world.

“It was very risky, my health was on the line, but the fighter in me is happy it wasn’t stopped because after seeing the fight, even though my vision was limited, I still connected and came after her,” Aldana explained. “So, I can say I pushed myself as far as I could as a human and a fighter – which is my objective in this sport, to see how far I can push my limits.

“I think that was an achievement from me in that aspect. But of course, I do think, ‘Man, what if something bad would’ve happened? I would’ve had something bad stem from this.’ On the commission side, I don’t know, wipe the blood away, just put Vaseline in. With that, I likely wouldn’t have had as much blood on my face or maybe the cut wouldn’t have opened up as bad as the fight went on. On that aspect, I’m not too happy. But as a fighter, I did get the chance to continue.”

Today, Aldana is back to training strength and conditioning, and understandably so, taking some time away from sparring and contact training.

Although a scary incident, the Lobo Gym product is eager to return to action when her injuries heal.

“I’m more motivated than ever,” Aldana said. “I’ve gone through a lot in this sport – very high highs and very low lows. It’s been an interesting and turbulent journey and after going through so much, I can’t just stop here. Things can’t get worse, I’ve been through a lot. I also find a ton of motivation in getting so much love and support from the community.

“The goal is still the same: winning the UFC title. I’m just going to take some time off and not rush back. I need time to recover and address old injuries. So I’m going in the shop, and then getting back in the gym slowly. As long as my body permits it, I’m going to continue.”

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Ronaldo Rodriguez recounts wild comeback win at UFC 306: ‘I was fighting on automatic pilot’

Mexico’s Ronaldo Rodriguez looks back at his wild comeback win over Ode Osbourne at last month’s UFC 306 at Sphere in Las Vegas.

[autotag]Ronaldo Rodriguez[/autotag] went through hell and back to leave UFC 306 with his hand raised.

The Mexican flyweight prospect was basically knocked out in the opening seconds of his fight with Ode Osbourne last month at Noche UFC at Sphere. Rodriguez (17-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) was hit with a counter right hand and fell flat on his back and his arms away from his face. From there, “Lazy Boy” took some extra shots and was put in a tight triangle choke for a good minute, all while badly rocked.

“I remember the hospital, that, I remember well,” Rodriguez told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “Brother, I was fighting on automatic pilot. That Mexican heart, that Aztec blood that runs through my veins, that was what gave me the victory. It was God’s power and faith in God. The Holy Spirit went in my body and got me back up. It got me back up, and it didn’t allow me to give up because I can’t find any other explanation when I was knocked out on that octagon, when I was about to get submitted. I can’t find an explanation. That was God.”

Rodriguez not only survived the sequence, but went on to win the remaining two rounds to win a decision on the judges’ scorecards. It was easily one of the best comeback wins of 2024. The 25-year-old flyweight vaguely remembers the fight, and thanks his corner for keeping him locked in.

“I do remember, but it’s a bit of a blur, like flashes,” Rodriguez said. “What I do remember well is my coach bringing me back. I told my corner after the first round, ‘Hey, I’m knocked out.’ I told them as soon as I got back from that first round that I was out. That’s what I saw in the replay and that’s when my coach Mike Gonzalez told me, ‘Brother, you need to come out with everything. We now know he’s got nothing on you on the ground. He can’t stop you there. You’re better than him.’ Thanks to my coach’s advice, we got the win.”

Rodriguez, who joined the UFC with a ton of hype and a big following from Mexico, is now 2-0 in the promotion. As far as what’s next, Rodriguez is down to fight wherever, whenever and against whoever.

“I’d fight against the best right now, but you know that decision doesn’t fall on me,” Rodriguez said. “I’m ready. I’m a hardworking man. I’m someone who’s like, ‘Oh, you want me to fight this guy? Where do I sign?’ I’m not someone who ponders on that and thinks if this is a good matchup or not, or anything like that. No. Beyond being an athlete, I’m a fighter.”

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New champ Merab Dvalishvili offers Sean O’Malley rematch at UFC 309, Umar has a response

If Sean O’Malley wants a chance to get the bantamweight title back, the new champ says he can have it.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

If [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] wants a chance to get the bantamweight title back, the new champ says he can have it.

[autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC) outworked O’Malley (18-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) for a unanimous decision in the UFC 306 main event a little less than two weeks ago at Sphere in Las Vegas. The bout was O’Malley’s second attempted title defense. He beat Aljamain Sterling to win the belt in August 2023, then beat Marlon Vera in March in his first defense.

While the fight with Dvalishvili appeared reasonably close on paper – Dvalishvili picked up a 49-46 score from one judge and 48-47s from two others – the fact remains no media outlets scoring the fight, as tracked by MMA Decisions, had it for O’Malley. A handful had 48-47 scores, but most had it 49-46 or 50-45 for Dvalishvili by a factor of about 2-to-1.

Still, O’Malley, on his YouTube podcast, said it’s his contention he won Rounds 1, 3 and 5 – and that the commentary helped create a bias among fans and pundits that he got his “ass whooped.” “I’m the champ. I won. Go rewatch that fight,” he said.

So if that’s the case, Dvalishvili said he’s down with a response on social media and even offered up a suggestion of UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden in New York in November.

“I hear O’Malley thinks he won the fight and is looking for a rematch,” Dvalishvili poster. “If he wants it he can have it. Let’s do it November 16th at the Garden and then I’ll still defend the title against whoever the UFC wants me to fight next. What do you think? @SugaSeanMMA”

O’Malley said there was “no debate” he lost Rounds 2 and 4, “100 percent,” but not the other three rounds.

Dvalishvili critics have started to surmise that the only reason he’s offering O’Malley a rematch is because he knows it’s not a viable option for his first title defense, and that it’s possible he’s ducking [autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag].

Nurmagomedov seems to think that’s the case.

O’Malley is scheduled to have hip surgery next week and will be out for what is expected to be, at minimum, six months – but perhaps as long as a year. The hip injury reportedly was one he suffered in camp.

Later on social media, O’Malley took his turn to chime in and maintained his stance that he won three rounds.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 306.

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Herb Dean addresses handling of oddities in Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O’Malley at UFC 306

Veteran referee Herb Dean responds to critics of his refereeing in the Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O’Malley title fight at UFC 306.

It’s rare for MMA referees to speak about their job performance or provide explanations about their actions in the cage. However, veteran referee [autotag]Herb Dean[/autotag] is one of the few.

Dean came under fire by people on social media and even UFC commentators Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier for several of his actions while officiating [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] bantamweight title fight – which headlined UFC 306 at Sphere in Las Vegas on Sept. 14.

It was a fight in which Dvalishvili defeated O’Malley but had several odd occurrences.

For starters, in the first few seconds, Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC) and O’Malley’s corner man, [autotag]Tim Welch[/autotag], were yelling at each other as the fight was going on. Dean stopped the action and ordered Welch to cut it out.

“I’m not here to be anyone’s parent or anything, and we want people’s personalities to be able to shine. That’s what makes our sport fun,” Dean told Helen Yee when asked about ordering Welch to stop addressing Dvalishvili. “We have some great personalities, but there is a rule that the seconds (cornermen) are not to interfere in the fight, and that includes trying to influence the referee. It specifies that, and you definitely can’t influence the other fighter or distract them. Your job is to coach the fighter, and my job is to do something about it.”

Although some took issue with Dean policing Welch’s trash-talking tactics, Dean said he was well within his right to act on it.

“It happens, and we do address it,” Dean explained. “It’s been happening as long as the sports have been here, you know what I mean. Even coaching the referee through the fighter, ‘OK, Herb is going to stand you up because all he wants to do is hold you, and he’s a boring, b*tch ass wrestler,’ and you know they try to coach me through coaching their fighter, and we know it. If it gets to be too much, we’ll say, ‘Hey, that’s a little excessive.’ It’s in the rules, and that’s what the rule is for.”

Not long after the bizarre trash-talking incident, another occurred.

At the end of Round 2, Dvalishvili had O’Malley (18-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC)  in a front headlock against the cage and decided to kiss O’Malley’s back multiple times before letting him go and walking away in the final seconds. An upset O’Malley stood up and swung at a distracted Dvalishvili before the bell rang.

Dean also interfered but this time issued a warning to Dvalishvili.

“Yes, yes, and that falls under sportsmanlike conduct. It does.” Dean said regarding the kisses. “Abusive language and things like that you’re not supposed to do.”

Toward the end of the bout, Dean kept telling Dvalishvili to work as he was moving away from O’Malley, who was looking to land a big shot and not let the fight go to the judges’ scorecards.

Many took issue with Dean’s comments calling for action, especially Rogan, who voiced his disapproval on the broadcast.

“I’ve seen on social media people have spoken on me about calling the fighters to do more action, and that’s what I’ve always done,” Dean said. “I can tell you what I tell fighters in the rules briefing, I tell them anytime that I’m going to have an intervention, I’m going to talk to you first. If I’m going to stand you up, I’m going to say, ‘Let’s work,’ or I’ll clap.

“That means that what I’m expecting is not busy work, I’m looking for effort to finish the fight. So you either posture or you can potentially set up fight ending attacks or advance your position or effort to advance, or pass the position … That rule was put in, standing up, to make our sport look like we want it to look.”

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‘I’ll put a million dollars me vs. him’: Sean O’Malley claps back at Devin Haney over UFC 306 criticism

Devin Haney might’ve gotten the last word on the former UFC champion, though.

Things are heating up between former UFC champion [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] and boxing star [autotag]Devin Haney[/autotag].

O’Malley wasn’t going to stay quiet about Haney’s recent comments on his bantamweight title loss to Merab Dvalishvili earlier this month at UFC 306. Haney posted on X, “O’Malley’s b*tch ass lost..” after the fight and in a recent video, O’Malley finally addressed that remark.

“Boxers are f*cking pussies,” O’Malley said on his YouTube channel. “Devin Haney is a b*tch. If David Haney really wants to fight, I’ll put a million dollars me vs. him, no time limit, and we can fight. MMA rules, just a fight, or we can do no rules, so if you wanna eye poke me you can. Let’s do a real f*cking fight. You wanna talk sh*t on Twitter? Really, really actually fight or just don’t talk sh*t.

“Either don’t talk sh*t or let’s actually fight. I would box and put $1 million of my money. Boxing rules just to protect him. I would just simply box him, but he wouldn’t just simply fight me. Don’t talk sh*t.”

Haney appeared to be all in on the challenge as he issued a response Monday on X. However, Haney is only down if the purse was higher than $1 million.

“I don’t fight for a million dollars like you.. @SugaSeanMMA let’s do a boxing fight & give us a shot at making real money!”

https://twitter.com/Realdevinhaney/status/1838306408300708140

O’Malley is expected to undergo hip surgery on Oct. 3 to address an injury he sustained during camp for his title defense against Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC). He expects to be out of competition anywhere from six months to a year.

O’Malley has expressed interest in the past to take his skills to the boxing world in potential fights with Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia, and now Haney.

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Sean O’Malley gripes about UFC 306 scores, urges fans to rewatch Merab Dvalishvili fight without commentary

Sean O’Malley believes the judges did him dirty and is adamant that he won Rounds 1, 3 and 5 against Merab Dvalishvili.

[autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] is known for his fighting and, at times, controversial comments. His latest take is sure to draw a lot of attention.

The former UFC bantamweight champion, who lost his title to [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] at UFC 306, previously made no excuses and owned up to getting beat. But now that O’Malley has rewatched the fight more than a week later, he is convinced he should’ve been awarded the win – contrary to what many have expressed, including the judges scoring the bout.

“The narrative around this f*cking fight is that I got my ass whooped,” O’Malley said on his YouTube channel last week. “I’m going to ask the UFC if they could please post that fight on YouTube. I won the first, third and fifth round. I challenge all you little dorks that think I got my ass kicked to rewatch that fight. I know it’s hard to be non-biased, but rewatch that fight, turn the commentary off and tell me I did not win that fight. I won the first, third, and fifth. Oh, I’m f*cking fired up right now. I’m the champ, I won, go rewatch that fight.”

O’Malley (18-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) rewatched the fight with coach Tim Welch and his friends, who all agreed in the way he scored the fight for himself. O’Malley was criticized for this, with many claiming he just had “yes men” around him.

In a subsequent video on Monday, O’Malley stayed firm on his stance.

“It’s funny. People are saying, ‘You just have a bunch of yes men around,’ but if you watch Rounds 1, 3, 5 closely, no commentating, I’m not going to talk about it too much, just go watch 1, 3, 5,” O’Malley said. “Rounds 2, 4 I lost, no debate. I 100 percent lost those two rounds but not 1, 3, 5.”

O’Malley is set to have hip surgery on Oct. 3 to address an injury he sustained during camp for his title defense against Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC). He expects to be out of action anywhere from six months to a year.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 306.

Chael Sonnen justifies Sean O’Malley getting immediate title rematch because he ‘moves the needle’

Chael Sonnen makes a case for Sean O’Malley to get an immediate title rematch.

[autotag]Chael Sonnen[/autotag] makes a case for [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] to get an immediate title rematch.

O’Malley (18-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) lost his bantamweight title to Merab Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC) by unanimous decision in the UFC 306 main event at Sphere in Las Vegas.

Dvalishvili has two contenders in Umar Nurmagomedov and Deiveson Figueiredo vying for a title shot, but Sonnen argues that O’Malley is worthy of a rematch.

He explains the logic behind his argument, pointing to other stars that have gotten that treatment.

“The very first option is the champion that drops the belt gets a rematch for his belt,” Sonnen said on his YouTube channel. “It was a respect that was shown to every single great champion. And by great champion, I’m talking about champions that could also move the needle. All of them were offered rematches, from Conor (McGregor) on down – more recently, Israel Adesanya. Right into it, I’m sharing with you: All the greats except Sean.”

Although it was widely considered a dominant win for Dvalishvili, O’Malley is convinced he won the fight. Upon rewatching the bout, Sonnen sees where O’Malley is coming from.

“Motivation could largely be based upon opportunities – of which I didn’t see any add, I only saw him taken away,” Sonnen said. “I’m just sharing – that is what I saw. But now you’ve got Merab, you’ve got Nurmagomedov, and you’ve got Figueiredo, and they can’t seem to quite figure it out.

“Well, there’s also a final option that should’ve come in front of all of them which is if there’s controversy, we look at a rematch. There’s controversy, go see Rounds 1, 3 and 5. Watch that without commentating. Come back and tell me you don’t see controversy.”

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Raul Rosas Jr. asks UFC to give him ranked opponent next: ‘I want a challenge … I know I’m ready’

19-year-old prospect Raul Rosas Jr. wants the UFC to give him a ranked opponent following his victory at UFC 306.

[autotag]Raul Rosas Jr.[/autotag] believes it’s time to take a big step in his fighting career.

Despite being just 19, making him the youngest fighter on the UFC roster, Rosas (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) wants to test himself against the elite of his division. That’s why he asks the UFC to give him a ranked bantamweight for his next outing.

“The thing about me is that I like challenges,” Rosas told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “I want a challenge. I want to test myself, and now I feel very comfortable being in the cage, and I keep getting more comfortable every time I step in there. I feel comfortable fighting a top-15 opponent.

“Personally, I know I’m ready. But even if I’m not ready, I’ll figure out a way to be ready for that date and opponent. If I’m ready, which I think I am, I can still get even more ready, so I can do more than just win, but actually finish and impress everyone, but more importantly the UFC so they can keep giving me fights toward the belt. That’s why I asked for somebody ranked. Either way, if I don’t get someone in the rankings, I want somebody that gets me a ranked opponent.”

Rosas is coming off a unanimous decision win over Aori Qileng (25-12 MMA, 3-4 UFC) at UFC 306 earlier this month. The victory put the Mexican-American on a three-fight winning streak.

Rosas is not too concerned about specific names. He just wants someone with a number next to their name.

“Against anyone really – I just care about getting the opportunity,” Rosas said. “There’s no one specific right now. All I want is the title. I want the title, so whatever fight takes me closer, that’s the fight I want.”

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T.J. Dillashaw: Merab Dvalishvili made Sean O’Malley look very weak at UFC 306

Former UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw gives his opinion on Merab Dvalishvili’s title win over Sean O’Malley at UFC 306.

[autotag]T.J. Dillashaw[/autotag] didn’t expect [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] to look that dominant in his first UFC championship fight.

Dillashaw, a former UFC bantamweight champion, was taken away by how Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC) looked against [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] in the main event of UFC 306 earlier this month in Las Vegas. Dvalishvili took the 135-pound title from O’Malley (18-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC), outpointing him in a unanimous decision.

“It’s not that I didn’t expect it,” Dillashaw said on the Jaxxon Podcast. “I knew that it was very close on the betting odds and when I had to go and pick this fight, I knew that Merab had a chance to just pressure the f*ck out of him. The guy is the Tasmanian Devil. He never stops and continues to shoot shots. I knew it was a possibility, but I thought – especially after watching how O’Malley has composed himself and how well he’s done on his feet using his feints, distance and angles – I thought he’d be able to keep that distance and control, be hard to take down and spark him. That’s what I thought could happen, as well.

“I didn’t think it was going to be this easy for Merab. Merab made him look weak – very weak.”

Dillashaw does think O’Malley has the technique to beat Dvalishvili, and is not ruling him out to win should they rematch in the future.

“O’Malley has the skills to beat this guy. He just didn’t use them,” Dillashaw said. “You can feint to freeze him, get outside his shoulder, so the takedowns are not there.”

Dvalishvili now holds wins over several former champions including Jose Aldo, Petr Yan, Henry Cejudo, and now O’Malley. Although not official, many expect him to make his first title defense against undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov.

In defeat, O’Malley came up short in his second title defense attempt. Prior to the loss, his only other defeat was a 2020 injury TKO to Marlon Vera. He won the title against Aljamain Sterling in August 2023 and defended against Marlon Vera in March.

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Oscar De La Hoya admits UFC 306 was a good time, still takes shot at Dana White

Oscar De La Hoya praised all involved with UFC 306 – except Dana White.

Oscar De La Hoya doesn’t always compliment the UFC, but his recent attendance at Sphere resulted in an exception.

UFC 306, also known as Noche UFC, took place this past Saturday in Las Vegas and De La Hoya was there – despite his longtime rivalry with Dana White. De La Hoya was among the guests in the box seats of Turki Alalshikh, the Saudi Arabian adviser heading “Riyadh Season,” which was a sponsor of the event.

De La Hoya said Thursday in an Instagram post that he head a great time at the event and praised the production – while still taking shots at White.

“Last weekend gave me some good material, so let’s get into it right now,” De La Hoya said. “OK guys, so UFC Noche: I was true to my word. I did attend last Saturday. I sat in Turki’s box upstairs, and I have to be honest with you: It was beautiful. It was spectacular. It looked really cool. The production value was there. Everything was amazing. The fights were actually really good.

“So congratulations to Turki for footing the bill on this and making his celebration of the Mexican culture come to life. And Dana, I know this wasn’t your idea or vision. Nothing ever is at the UFC. You’re the Fertittas’ errand boy. But I’m always honest and fair, and I want to praise the production. UFC Noche was a good time and I really enjoyed it.”

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DAHkDxqShEZ/?igsh=YWhwbzFnMXA4Y2N3

De La Hoya and White have feuded consistently throughout the years. However, De La Hoya still was included in the UFC’s tribute packages to Mexican combat sports played at the event.

“He’s an asshole, but you can’t deny what he did,” White told reporters including MMA Junkie after the event. “The guy is a f*cking lunatic, but he was a bad boy in his day before he got his fake abs. Yeah, he used to have real abs.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 306.