Cory Sandhagen is eager to fight Sean O’Malley next, arguing that a rematch between O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili lacks excitement and proposing their fight as a more appealing option for fans.
Cory Sandhagen’s waiting game continues. He’s itching for his next fight, and he’s got his sights set on Sean O’Malley. Sandhagen’s latest callout is all about grabbing O’Malley’s attention.
Back in August, Sandhagen faced off against Umar Nurmagomedov. It was a nail-biter in Abu Dhabi, but he ended up losing by decision. Before that, though? He was on fire with three wins, including a knockout of Song Yadong. Now, he’s eager to jump back into the octagon, eyeing O’Malley as his dream opponent.
Sandhagen isn’t buying the hype around an O’Malley rematch with UFC bantamweight champ Merab Dvalishvili. “Let’s be real,” Sandhagen quipped on Instagram. “O’Malley got whooped once; it’ll happen again. No one wants that fight.”
“I’m not booked yet,” Sandhagen continued, clearly restless. “I’m bored out of my mind. I’ll give this guy all the time he needs—just like Aljamain did. UFC, give the fans what they want: me vs. O’Malley. Make it happen already!”
For Sandhagen, O’Malley’s always been a top contender for him—both are striking specialists, promising an electrifying match-up.
After losing to Dvalishvili last year, O’Malley revealed he’d torn his labrum prepping for the title bout and later had surgery. Still, he’s optimistic about returning soon and has already expressed interest in facing the winner of Dvalishvili vs. Nurmagomedov at UFC 311.
Dvalishvili emerged victorious over Nurmagomedov with a unanimous decision but lacks a definitive next challenger.
While O’Malley’s star power remains bright, Sandhagen believes he needs to earn his title shot anew. He’s pushing for a showdown with O’Malley sooner rather than later to reignite the bantamweight division’s momentum.