Cory Sandhagen paid close attention to the second bout between Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley, as he fully anticipated challenging the winner for a championship later this year.
Dvalishvili defeated O’Malley for the second time, delivering an even more dominant performance by controlling the initial two rounds before securing a fight-ending choke in the third. This was clearly a difficult setback for O’Malley, who had become a major star and one of the UFC`s most captivating figures, but now finds his path to the bantamweight title uncertain after two defeats against a top contender.
Before the fight, O’Malley had spoken about making significant lifestyle changes to better prepare for the rematch against Dvalishvili. However, the outcome remained the same, and Sandhagen expressed empathy regarding this.
“I kind of feel for Sean,” Sandhagen shared with MMA Fighting. “Sean’s one of those guys that kind of thinks about life in terms of a journey and all of that stuff and I can relate to that big time. So I know the feeling of changing a lot of stuff about your life in hopes that it will translate over into fighting and then also hope that you’ll get a good result from it. It sucks that life doesn’t always work like that. So I kind of feel for him a little bit.”
Analyzing the fight itself, Sandhagen acknowledged that O’Malley seemed to have an off night, generating minimal offense despite successfully defending several of Dvalishvili’s takedown attempts.
Trouble arose in the third round when O’Malley was caught in a grappling exchange on the mat, allowing Dvalishvili to secure the fight-finishing choke. Dvalishvili’s impressive display of dominance further motivated Sandhagen to defeat him when they eventually face off in the octagon.
“The fight itself, Sean looked a little bit off, even more off than the last time,” Sandhagen noted. “I don’t really know what that’s about. I mean Merab looked super on. I think Merab’s building some really good momentum. I think that he’s getting more confident in each fight and I’m really excited to face that challenge. I think that I’m the guy to beat him. I just can’t wait to actually be a f*cking world champion finally.”
At present, Sandhagen`s sole focus is securing a date and venue for his championship bout against Dvalishvili, aiming to finally realize his dream of competing for a UFC title. Nevertheless, Sandhagen recognized the significant interest in a potential matchup between himself and O’Malley, given their contrasting styles and how they might clash.
If Sandhagen were to defeat Dvalishvili and become champion, it would potentially revitalize O’Malley’s career path by creating an opportunity for him to re-enter title contention. The question remains whether O’Malley possesses what it takes to rectify his past issues and ascend the rankings once more.
“I think he does,” Sandhagen responded. “O’Malley kind of gets labeled as a star first before he gets labeled as a good fighter. I think O’Malley’s a really, really good fighter. He’s a super athletic guy, also, so when you’re that athletic, you’re capable of making a lot of changes in your game and stuff.”
“If you don’t pick things up very quickly, it can be hard to change. But Sean definitely has that ability, just him being a really good athlete so I think he definitely can.”
While O’Malley publicly discussed giving up marijuana, quitting social media, and stopping video games as methods to improve his focus for the Dvalishvili rematch, Sandhagen suggested that the crucial adjustments needed are related to his training regimen and technical preparation.
At his peak, O’Malley was a precise striker with formidable knockout power, but his two encounters with Dvalishvili highlighted vulnerabilities in his overall game. Sandhagen anticipates O’Malley addressing these areas, potentially leading to a future clash between them as champion and challenger.
“I think he just has to change a few things, not like in his personal life but in his technical fighting style of stuff and then just be able to grapple with these guys that are really good grapplers,” Sandhagen commented.
“He got away for a long time just being able to one-shot, knock people out. Now he’s facing some for real well-rounded, really good fighters and you just can’t be a one-trick pony anymore.”
While a fight against O’Malley might occur in the future, Sandhagen is currently preoccupied with only one objective: the title fight against Dvalishvili. He hasn`t received an official fight offer from the UFC yet, but after speaking with Dvalishvili backstage following his recent victory, Sandhagen is confident their match will take place soon.
“I know Merab was saying sometime in November or December,” Sandhagen stated. “That works for me, too. These things take a little bit of time or whatever but I’m pretty confident. I feel good about it and I’m super excited to finally get my title shot.”
