O'Malley's Public Rewatch and Dispute of UFC 306 Scorecards

Five days after UFC 306, on September 19, 2024, Sean O'Malley used social media to dispute the judges' unanimous decision that awarded Merab Dvalishvili the bantamweight title. O'Malley live-tweeted an in-the-moment rewatch of the fight and later spoke on Twitter Spaces, asserting, "I won the first, third, and fifth. Oh I’m f*cking fired up right now. I’m the champ! I won! I’m the champ! Where’s my belt?!" as reported by MMA Fighting [4]. The public rewatch and audio commentary invited fans to re-evaluate the rounds while O'Malley challenged the official narrative. In subsequent days O'Malley posted mocking social-media content, including a heavy-bag video that media outlets documented (reported Sep 23, 2024), which outlets characterized as a response to criticism and the loss itself [3]. The rewatch and dispute attracted attention because it represented a prominent champion openly contesting judges' scorecards and encouraged an extended public debate about scoring, fight control, and the legitimacy of Dvalishvili's win [4][3].

O'Malley's rewatch mattered because it prolonged and publicized disagreement over the official outcome, keeping the rivalry in public conversation and press coverage beyond the event itself [4]. Contesting judges' decisions on a live platform amplified fan debate about round scoring and preserved commercial interest in a rematch, while also shaping O'Malley's public image as a champion unwilling to concede defeat when the result was contested.

The rewatch and dispute helped sustain momentum toward a rematch: press coverage recorded O'Malley's statements and subsequent mocking posts, and Dvalishvili's camp used the continued public attention to justify the rematch narrative [4][3]. The dispute did not change the official result, but it contributed to media demand for a second fight, which ultimately occurred at UFC 316 on June 7, 2025 [6].