UFC Bantamweight Champion Sean O’Malley is intently observing the highly anticipated co-main event at UFC 320, a crucial bantamweight clash between Merab Dvalishvili and Cory Sandhagen. O`Malley, who currently holds the bantamweight title, shared his surprising insights on the strengths of both contenders competing in Las Vegas.
While many anticipate Sandhagen’s diverse skill set will present a formidable test for `The Machine` Dvalishvili, O’Malley himself finds it challenging to predict a clear winner. Despite acknowledging Dvalishvili`s undeniable power and relentless style, `Suga` surprisingly rates `The Sandman` as the more comprehensively skilled fighter.
Sean O’Malley Asserts Cory Sandhagen Possesses Superior `Overall` Skills Compared to Merab Dvalishvili
With his sights set on defending his 135-pound title in future bouts, O`Malley remains a keen analyst of the division`s top contenders. He offered a detailed breakdown of the Dvalishvili vs. Sandhagen matchup during an August appearance on Mike Perry’s Overdogs Podcast.
O’Malley drew parallels between Dvalishvili’s suffocating wrestling game and the legendary Khabib Nurmagomedov. However, he unequivocally stated that Sandhagen stands out as the more skilled athlete “overall.”
“Me and Cory have very similar styles,” O’Malley commented. “Cory did do a really good job against Umar; creating scrambles, keeping his hips high when Umar tried to get to his back.”
“If Merab can get a hold of Cory, I just don’t see — Merab felt just so strong…his gas tank is ridiculous.”
“If I had to guess, Merab, but it’s hard for me to count Cory out. I do think Cory, skill for skill, is one of the best guys in the UFC. I think he’s got more skills overall than Merab.”
“But Merab, that skillset he does have is so good, so dominant, very Khabib-like in a sense.”
Cory Sandhagen Responds Positively to Sean O’Malley’s White House Challenge
A victory for Sandhagen at UFC 320 could pave the way for an exciting future confrontation with O’Malley. The current champion has already made an unconventional callout, expressing a desire to face Sandhagen at the White House in 2026. This unique challenge received a favorable reaction from `The Sandman` ahead of his upcoming fight in Las Vegas.
“Yeah, for sure, O’Malley’s been on my radar, I’ve been on his radar for a long time, and yeah, I’ll be on the A-side of it this time,” Sandhagen told MMA Fighting. “For a long time, O’Malley was the more famous guy who didn’t really want to, I don’t think, have too many conversations about fighting me.”
“But when you’re champ, everyone wants to fight you. So yeah, it’ll be fun to be on the A-side of the side of that conversation instead of feeling like I’m begging for a fight against a star. I’ll be the star.”
“I mean, s—, it’s gonna be a once in a lifetime thing,” he added, referring to the White House event. “It feels like it’s like the Sphere, but on steroids. Everyone was excited about the Sphere and this is going to take it to a whole another level, dude.”
