UFC bantamweight contender Cory Sandhagen had a keen interest in the recent rematch between Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley at UFC 316. Sandhagen had long anticipated facing the winner later this year for the title opportunity.
Dvalishvili secured his second victory over O’Malley, delivering an even more dominant performance this time. He controlled the fight through the first two rounds before ending it with a choke in the third. This second consecutive loss to the current champion was undeniably difficult for O’Malley, who had rapidly become one of the UFC`s most significant stars but now finds his title aspirations uncertain within the bantamweight division.
Before the fight, O’Malley spoke openly about making major lifestyle adjustments to enhance his preparation for the rematch with Dvalishvili. However, the outcome remained the same, and Sandhagen expressed sympathy for O’Malley’s situation.
“I feel for Sean a little bit,” Sandhagen told MMA Fighting. “Sean is someone who views life as a journey, a perspective I deeply relate to. So, I understand the feeling of altering many things in your life with the hope it translates positively into fighting and yields a good result. It’s tough when life doesn’t always work out that way. That’s why I sympathize with him somewhat.”
Regarding the fight itself, Sandhagen admitted that O’Malley clearly had an off night. Aside from successfully defending several of Dvalishvili’s takedown attempts, O’Malley offered minimal offense of his own.
Trouble struck in the third round when O’Malley became entangled in a grappling exchange on the ground, allowing Dvalishvili to secure the choke that finished the fight. Dvalishvili’s commanding performance impressed Sandhagen and further fueled his own motivation to train and defeat him when they finally meet in the octagon.
“In the fight itself, Sean appeared a bit off, even more so than in their first encounter,” Sandhagen commented. “I’m not entirely sure why that was the case. Merab, on the other hand, looked absolutely fantastic. I believe Merab is building significant momentum.”
“I think he’s growing more confident with each fight, and I’m genuinely excited to face that challenge. I believe I am the fighter capable of beating him. I simply can’t wait to finally become a world champion.”
At present, Sandhagen’s primary focus is securing a date and location for his upcoming fight against Dvalishvili, as he aims to fulfill his dream of competing for a UFC title. However, Sandhagen is well aware of the considerable enthusiasm for a potential matchup between himself and O’Malley due to their stylistic differences and how they might clash.
Should Sandhagen defeat Dvalishvili and become champion, it could potentially breathe new life into O’Malley’s career by reopening his path to title contention. But does O’Malley possess the ability to correct his past mistakes and ascend the ranks once more?
“I believe he does,” Sandhagen responded. “O’Malley is sometimes labeled as a star before he’s recognized as a talented fighter. I actually think O’Malley is a very, very good fighter. He’s also exceptionally athletic, and being that athletic allows you to make substantial changes to your game and approach.”
“If you aren’t quick to pick things up, making changes can be difficult. But Sean definitely has that capability, simply by virtue of being a superb athlete. So, I think he absolutely can bounce back.”
While O’Malley spoke extensively about personal lifestyle changes like quitting marijuana, social media, and video games as part of his preparation for the Dvalishvili rematch, Sandhagen suggested that the more critical adjustments needed are related to his training and technical approach.
At his best, O’Malley is a precise striker with devastating knockout power, but his two bouts against Dvalishvili highlighted vulnerabilities in his skill set. Sandhagen anticipates O’Malley addressing these issues, potentially setting the stage for a future confrontation between them, perhaps with one holding championship status.
“I think he just needs to adjust a few things, not necessarily in his personal life, but specifically in his technical fighting style,” Sandhagen explained. “He needs to improve his ability to grapple with fighters who are highly skilled grapplers.”
“For a long time, he could rely on being able to land one knockout blow. Now, he is facing genuinely well-rounded, high-level opponents, and you simply cannot succeed as a one-trick pony anymore.”
Although a future clash with O’Malley is a possibility, Sandhagen’s immediate attention is solely on the title fight with Dvalishvili. While he hasn’t received an official fight offer from the UFC yet, a conversation with Dvalishvili backstage after the recent fight left Sandhagen confident that their bout is imminent.
“I know Merab mentioned sometime in November or December,” Sandhagen stated. “That timeframe works for me as well. These things sometimes take a bit of time to finalize, but I feel quite confident about it. I feel good about the situation and am incredibly excited to finally receive my title shot.”
