Expert picks and best bets for UFC 306 and Bellator Champions Series - ESPN

UFC bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley puts his belt on the line against Merab Dvalishvili in the main event at UFC 306 on Saturday night (10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV, with prelims at 7:30 p.m. on ESPNews/ESPN+).

O'Malley, No. 4 in ESPN's pound-for-pound rankings, enters the fight following his first title defense against Marlon Vera at UFC 299. O'Malley beat Vera by unanimous decision. Dvalishvili, No. 2 in ESPN's bantamweight rankings, is riding a 10-fight winning streak. Dvalishvili has not lost a fight since April 2018.

In the co-main event, women's flyweight champion Alexa Grasso clashes with former champion Valentina Shevchenko in a trilogy bout for Grasso's title. Grasso, No. 2 in ESPN's women's MMA P4P rankings, beat Shevchenko by fourth-round submission to claim the title at UFC 285 in March 2023. In the rematch, Grasso retained the title via split draw in September 2023.

Also on Saturday, Bellator hosts its second of back-to-back events as the promotion takes the Bellator Champions Series to London. In the main event, women's featherweight contender Leah McCourt takes on the undefeated Sara Collins.

Andreas Hale spoke to UFC strawweight Angela Hill to get her perspective on the UFC 306 main and co-main events. ESPN betting experts Reed Kuhn and Ian Parker add their insights and analysis on the UFC main event and other intriguing bets they like from both promotions on Saturday.

Editor's note: Responses have been edited for brevity and clarity.

How O'Malley wins: O'Malley wins with patience and distance control. He has to find the distance where Dvalishvili tends to attack and beat him to the punch.

How Dvalishvili wins: Pressure. Dvalishvili has to charge at O'Malley with his combos and be relentless with his