Stephen A. Smith is hoping for a more entertaining conclusion to UFC 316 than he witnessed at the September 2024 pay-per-view.
Two title fights are set to take place in Newark on Saturday night, as the Prudential Center plays host to the latest UFC numbered card.
After Julianna Pena defends her title against Kayla Harrison, more bantamweight gold will be on the line in the main event when Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley have their rematch.
The Georgian emerged victorious from their first fight, outlasting the then-defending champion across five rounds at UFC 306 inside the Sphere.
Dvalishvili’s performance, though, didn’t seem to impress one sports celebrity in the crowd.
- READ MORE: ‘I almost feel bad’… UFC veteran brutally blames Julianna Pena for his dislike of women’s MMA
Stephen A. Smith was ‘bored’ watching Merab Dvalishvili beat Sean O’Malley inside the Sphere
Smith recently looked ahead to UFC 316 while speaking to Daniel Cormier on his ESPN show, First Take.
The renowned sports broadcaster was among the big names present when Dvalishvili and O’Malley made history inside the Sphere.
Many said the pair failed to live up to the billing on fight night, and Smith was evidently among those who exited the unique venue dissatisfied.
“DC, I will tell you, I was at that first fight (between) these two and I gotta tell you something, I was bored,” Smith said.
“I was bored from the standpoint of watching Merab take him to the ground because I wanted to see ‘Sugar’ be ‘Sugar’, and that did not happen.
“I’m wondering right now, there was an allure that was attached to him (O’Malley) — not quite Conor McGregor-esque in terms of popularity, but there was a sensationalist element that came with ‘Sugar’. How much of that lustre has worn off because of the loss?”
Stephen A. Smith caught flak from UFC figures and fans for controversial opinion
Smith’s remarks could catch some heat from Dvalishvili’s supporters, but it wouldn’t be the first time that the 57-year-old has upset mixed martial arts fans.
He previously caused a stir while featuring on the broadcast for Conor McGregor’s UFC 247 victory over Donald Cerrone.
Smith was criticized after accusing the fan-favorite American fighter of ‘giving up’ in his 40-second knockout loss to the Irishman.
Among those to express displeasure at the comments was UFC president Dana White.
“Listen, you’re tuning in and buying the pay-per-view because you love these guys and you respect these fighters, and you’re a fan of the sport,” White said to MMA Junkie. “The last thing you want to do is hear somebody ripping them apart.
“I’m not into it. Rogan is not into it. You don’t see that in the UFC. There will be times where I’m p—ed off at a guy, and I’ll voice my opinion on what he did or whatever – or if a fight is really bad or somebody did something. What we don’t do is, when a fight is over and a guy loses, we don’t go in and rip them apart. It’s just not our style.”
Smith has largely stayed outside of the MMA space since, but he does continue to discuss some prominent topics related to the UFC on his show.