UFC 306 saw the crowning of two new champions: Merab Dvalishvili made good on his first title shot, while Valentina Shevchenko re-ascended the flyweight throne.
Dvalishvili largely got the better of bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley, who was looking to make his second title defense. Shevchenko defeated Alexa Grasso to push the trilogy to 1-1-1.
UFC title pictures have often been unpredictable lately, but both Dvalishvili and Shevchenko appear to have their next opponents locked in. Let’s analyze what is likely next for the new champions.
Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomedov
Dvalishvili put on a more dominant showing against O’Malley than two judges’ scorecards indicated in his 49-46, 48-47, 48-47 win over the former champion.