‘Suga’ Sean O’Malley experienced a setback in his career, losing the bantamweight championship at UFC 306. He is now left on the defensive, with rising stars of the division vying for their share of the spotlight, previously dominated by him.
Evidently, O’Malley has been advocating for a second chance in the ring against Merab Dvalishvili. However, due to a recent hip operation, the much-anticipated rematch may have to wait until sometime in early 2025.
With O’Malley’s temporary hiatus, Dvalishvili might possibly have Umar Nurmagomedov as his next adversary. Nurmagomedov is apparently coming off a hard-fought victory against Cory Sandhagen, which took place in August.
Sandhagen, on the other hand, disagrees with the proposition of O’Malley waiting it out until Dvalishvili defends his title. He suggests an alternative scenario that puts him in the ring with O’Malley sooner rather than later.
In fact, he firmly supports the idea of a face-off with O’Malley, arguing that it’s a logical choice in lieu of the immediate rematch that O’Malley desires. It seems Sandhagen is keen to establish his game plan swiftly, aiming for a showdown with ‘Suga’ Sean.
His desire to take on O’Malley seems to have persisted for a while. His recent callout might be seen as an extension of remarks he made back in September, following O’Malley’s upset loss with the title at stake.
In a bold message perhaps designed to stir the competitive embers, Sandhagen noted, ‘O’Malley, it’s high time we give the supporters what they’re clamoring for.’ With an added touch of humor, he added, ‘I won’t guarantee there won’t be a kiss.’
O’Malley and Sandhagen have been lingering around the same spots in the bantamweight rankings, hinting at a potential clash. These two have been orbiting each other’s careers for some time now, but a direct confrontation had always seemed ill-timed or unsuitable.
Currently, it appears the landscape might have shifted favorably for such a bout. The unfolding current events seem to be aligning in a way that this eagerly awaited match-up might finally come to pass.