Merab Dvalishvili, the UFC champion, addressed the question of why he kissed Sean O'Malley on the neck several times during their fight.
Dvalishvili said at a press conference:
So I grab his neck and he has 10 seconds left. I know he can wait and he’s not going to sleep or tap from this and I wanted to make just a little fun of him and give him a little kiss to show that I’m dominant. I control this fight, I break you. But I had too much fun there and I guess I [lost track of time], but when I let go, he followed me and he punched the back of my head and I protect myself again. I said, ‘Referee, again, I’m sorry, referee.
Recall that on September 15, at the UFC 306 tournament, Dvalishvili won by unanimous decision of the judges and became the new champion of the bantamweight division.
Dvalishvili had his previous fight in February 2024 at UFC 298, defeating Henry Cejudo by unanimous decision. He has 18 wins and four losses on his record.
O'Malley had previously entered the octagon in March 2024 as part of the UFC 299 tournament, defeating Marlon Vera by unanimous decision. He has 18 wins and two losses on his record.