Noche UFC Betting Odds - Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili

UFC 306 has taken the name Noche UFC (meaning UFC Night) as part of the sponsorship agreement with Saudi Arabia’s GEA (General Entertainment Authority) as part of its high-profile Riyadh season.

The event takes place at the Sphere in Paradise, Nevada. It is the first-ever combat sports event to be held at the Sphere, and UFC President Dana White has promised that this will be the most spectacular live sporting event ever witnessed. Let’s hope the action in the octagon also lives up to the hype.

Noche UFC is on September 14, 2024. The prelims start at 7:30 PM Eastern Time, and the main Pay-Per-View card will be underway at 10 PM ET. 

O’Malley has always carried a lot of hype, and although the train was briefly derailed after his loss to Marlon Vera, it is back on the tracks now, looking better than ever.

Suga took the title from Aljamain Sterling in devastating fashion, and he followed this up with another stand-out performance in his rematch with Vera.

While there is no questioning the knock-out power of O’Malley, a portion of the MMA media believe he has been sheltered from strong wrestlers on his ascent to the top. That privilege has now been revoked as Merab Dvalishvili finally gets his crack at the title. 

Merab is a stable mate of Aljamain, and he openly says that he wouldn’t fight him. However, now O’Malley is the top dog, Dvalishvili can go for gold. He has been extremely dominant in recent years with wins against Cejudo, Yan, and Aldo, among others on his resume. 

Known for high pressure style and elite wrestling, he’ll be looking to take O’Malley down as often as he can, as this will negate’s Sean’s superior striking. Of course, this is easier said than done. O’Malley is becoming a master at controlling space and distance, which is what’s required here.

The betting odds for the UFC 306 main event are closer than I anticipated, with O’Malley being a 1.80 favorite and Dvalishvili currently priced at 2.11. I thought Suga’s price would be shorter. On one hand, this highlights the potential threat Merab poses, but equally, it means good returns if you back him.

HugeStakes’ Prediction: O’Malley via KO/TKO in 3rd or 4th rounds

The co-main event features Alexa Grasso as she once again defends her strap against fan favorite Valentina Shevchenko. This is a trilogy bout with Grasso dethroning Shevchenko last year. The immediate rematch ended in a draw, which brings us to this encounter.

Alexa will need to be at her clinical best to overcome Shevchenko. However, I am not sure it will be enough this time around. Admittedly, Father Time is running against Valentina, who is now 36, but I fancy her for this one. She’ll want to go out on top, and this is probably her last shot at the strap. 

The betting odds are Grasso at 1.81 and Shevchenko at 2.09. I like that value on the underdog, who I believe will win by decision.

HugeStakes’ Prediction: Shevchenko via decision

Stake always rolls out a special array of UFC promotions for each PPV event. These serve to complement the existing offers. Here’s what’s on the menu for UFC 306: