Cory Sandhagen had a significant interest in the Merab Dvalishvili versus Sean O’Malley rematch at UFC 316, anticipating that he would likely challenge the winner for the bantamweight title later this year.
Dvalishvili defeated O’Malley for the second time, delivering an even more dominant performance. He controlled the first two rounds before securing a submission victory via choke in the third. This was undoubtedly a tough setback for O’Malley, who achieved major stardom as a prominent UFC draw but now finds himself in a difficult position regarding the bantamweight title picture, having lost twice to the reigning champion.
Leading up to the bout, O’Malley publicly discussed making substantial lifestyle changes to improve his preparation for the second fight against Dvalishvili. However, the outcome remained the same, and Sandhagen expressed sympathy for him in this situation.
“I kind of feel for Sean,” Sandhagen shared with MMA Fighting. “Sean is someone who views life as a journey, and I strongly relate to that perspective. So, I understand the feeling of altering significant aspects of your life hoping it translates positively into fighting, and then also hoping for a favorable result. It`s tough when things don`t always work out that way. So, yeah, I sympathize with him a bit.”
Regarding the fight itself, Sandhagen acknowledged that O’Malley had an off night. Aside from successfully defending several of Dvalishvili’s takedown attempts, O’Malley generated minimal offense.
Disaster struck in the third round when O’Malley became entangled in a ground scramble, allowing Dvalishvili to secure the fight-ending choke. Dvalishvili’s impressive dominance served to further motivate Sandhagen for their eventual meeting in the octagon.
“During the fight, Sean seemed a bit off, even more so than in their first meeting,” Sandhagen commented. “I’m not sure why that was. Merab, on the other hand, looked incredibly sharp. I believe Merab is building significant momentum.”
“I think he’s gaining more confidence with each fight, and I’m genuinely excited to face that challenge. I believe I’m the person to beat him. I just can’t wait to finally become a world champion.”
Currently, Sandhagen is solely focused on securing a date and location for his fight against Dvalishvili, aiming to fulfill his dream of competing for a UFC title. However, he is also aware of the notable enthusiasm surrounding a potential matchup between himself and O’Malley due to their exciting styles and how they would theoretically match up.
Should Sandhagen defeat Dvalishvili to claim the title, it would potentially revitalize O’Malley’s career path by opening the door for him to re-enter title contention. But does O’Malley possess the ability to learn from his past mistakes and climb back up the rankings?
“I think he does,” Sandhagen responded. “O’Malley is often labeled as a star before he’s recognized as a skilled fighter. I believe O’Malley is a very, very good fighter. He’s also a super athletic guy, and being that athletic means you have the capability to make significant adjustments to your game.”
“If you aren’t quick to pick things up, making changes can be difficult. But Sean definitely has that capacity just by being a high-level athlete, so I believe he absolutely can make the necessary improvements.”
While O’Malley publicly spoke about abstaining from marijuana, quitting social media, and stopping video games to focus on the Dvalishvili rematch, Sandhagen feels the crucial changes needed are more fundamental to his training and technical preparation.
At his peak, O’Malley was a precise striker with devastating knockout power, but his two encounters with Dvalishvili exposed vulnerabilities in his game. Sandhagen expects O’Malley to address these issues, suggesting that perhaps their paths might cross in the future, with one as champion and the other as a challenger.
“I think he just needs to change a few things, not so much in his personal life, but in his technical fighting style, and develop the ability to grapple effectively with elite grapplers,” Sandhagen stated.
“For a long time, he got by primarily by being able to land a fight-ending punch. Now he’s facing truly well-rounded, high-level fighters, and you simply can’t be a one-trick pony anymore.”
While a future bout against O’Malley remains a possibility, Sandhagen’s immediate and sole focus is his title fight with Dvalishvili. He hasn’t received an official contract offer from the UFC yet, but after speaking with Dvalishvili backstage following his recent victory, Sandhagen is confident their fight will happen relatively soon.
“I know Merab mentioned sometime in November or December,” Sandhagen said. “That timeline works for me too. These things sometimes take a little while to finalize, but I’m quite confident. I feel good about it, and I’m incredibly excited to finally get my title shot.”
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