After getting dominated and completed by UFC bantamweight champ Merab Dvalishvili of their rematch at UFC 316, Sean O’Malley volunteered his companies for an excellent brief turnaround.
O’Malley has misplaced back-to-back fights to Dvalishvili, however not too long ago stated in an interview that after he was advised a slated co-main occasion for UFC 318 fell off, he needed to face one other top-ranked 135-pounder on the July pay-per-view card.
“I used to be truly making an attempt to combat Cory [Sandhagen] when the co-main occasion fell out for that Max and Dustin combat [card],” O’Malley stated on the Overdogs Podcast. “I threw my identify out to the UFC. Three weeks, me vs. Cory can be candy.”
UFC 318 served because the retirement sendoff for Dustin Poirier as he confronted Max Holloway in his ultimate bout, dropping a call. Whereas the cardboard might definitely have used a lift when it comes to star energy, the occasion was primarily about Poirier and his profession.
On prime of that, Sandhagen is now set to problem Dvalishvili for the title in October at UFC 320.
“It didn’t make sense for the UFC,” O’Malley stated. “Cory vs. Merab is the combat was the subsequent combat to make.
“However, yeah. Me vs. Cory is a really attention-grabbing combat. That’s one which’s certain to occur earlier than later.”
O’Malley has spent practically 40 minutes within the octagon with Dvalishvili and is aware of what “The Machine” brings to the desk. Being a pupil of the sport, he understands how good Sandhagen is throughout the board.
When requested how he sees the title combat going, “Sugar” gave his take.
“Me and Cory have very comparable types,” O’Malley stated. “Cory did do an excellent job towards Umar creating scrambles, preserving his hips excessive when Umar tried to get to his again. Umar and Merab have totally different grappling strengths and strategies.
“However, man, I feel if Merab can come up with Cory, I simply don’t see… Merab felt simply so robust, and simply actually robust in sure positions. His gasoline tank is ridiculous. I don’t know. If I needed to guess, Merab [wins], but it surely’s arduous for me to depend Cory out as a result of I do suppose Cory, ability for ability, is without doubt one of the finest guys within the UFC.”
