UFC 306 faceoff: Shirtless Sean O'Malley, suited Merab Dvalishvili get tense at pre-fight press conference

LAS VEGAS – Sean O'Malley and Merab Dvalishvili are one step closer to finding out who is the better men after Thursday’s UFC 306 pre-fight press conference staredown.

O’Malley (18-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) will put his bantamweight title on the line against Dvalishvili (17-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC) in the headlining act of Noche UFC at Sphere (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPNews), and the historic nature of the card has put additional eyeballs on both men.

The verbal exchanges during the press conference made it clear both men are confident they will leave with the title in convincing fashion, and their demeanours in the faceoff matched that energy.

O’Malley faced off with his title challenger shirtless, while Dvalishvili looked dapper in a red suit. They exchanged a few heated words at first, but shook hands before posing for the crowd.

O’Malley will attempt to make his second 135-pound title defense in the bout, while Dvalishvili looks to capture gold and extend his winning streak to 11 consecutive fights inside the octagon.

Check out the video above to see O’Malley and Dvalishvili face off at the UFC 306 pre-fight press conference.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 306.