"The Sphere is gonna be cool for everyone but me” - Sean O'Malley is all business ahead of Merab Dvalishvili clash at Noche UFC 306
Sean O'Malley is fully focused ahead of his historic bantamweight title clash with Merab Dvalishvili at Noche UFC 306. The pair will headline the event, which takes place at The Sphere, a one-of-a-kind venue in Las Vegas.
The Sphere promises an unrivalled viewing experience, and UFC CEO Dana White has shared several exciting previews about what the venue will offer fans, including 90-second movies shown before each fight to celebrate Mexican Independence Day and the fighting history of Mexico's combat athletes.
While fighters and fans alike are curious as to what will be served up on the night, 'Sugar' only has one thing on his mind - the fight.
The 29-year old appeared in front of the media during fight week ahead of his title clash, where he was asked to share his thoughts on fighting at an iconic venue like The Sphere. He said:
"The Sphere is gonna be cool for everyone but me. For me, it's tunnel vision. I'm walking to the cage, I'm doing what I have to do. I'll enjoy the show after. I don't let myself think about all that. For me, we'll see. Maybe it's gonna be so crazy; I'm gonna have no choice but to look around. I mean, I'll look around and take it in. I'm not thinking about all the extra stuff."
Watch Sean O'Malley's interview below (1:45):
Sean O'Malley explains frustration behind focus of the promotion of Noche UFC 306
Sean O'Malley and Merab Dvalishvili will lock horns in an exciting bantamweight title fight in the main event of Noche UFC 306 on Sept. 14.
It will be the first ever combat sports event held at The Sphere, a revolutionary arena in Las Vegas that opened in 2023.
But the bantamweight king recently shared some annoyance with the focus of the UFC's promotion of his upcoming fight, believing it to be too centered around the venue and not the fighters.
During an interview with Michael Bisping, 'Sugar' said:
"We've got The Sphere [card] coming up. [I'm] a little annoyed-ish about the promotion of The Sphere. The Sphere is the show, [but] I'm the one doing interviews, not The Sphere. Let's promote Sean vs. Merab, the 'Sugar Show'. I'm the one fighting, let's go. But it is what it is. The Sphere is going to be legendary, it'll be epic. it'll be cool."
Watch Sean O'Malley's interview below (1:40):