It's been four months since Sean O'Malley lost his UFC bantamweight title to Merab Dvalishvili, with 'Suga' keen to secure his rematch against the Georgian wrecking ball.
Sean O'Malley is expected to fight again in mid-2025, but should the UFC forego an immediate rematch against the 'cardio king', who could be in the running to welcome the Suga back to the octagon?
Well, there are potential fights against the likes of Deiveson Figueiredo, Petr Yan, and Henry Cejudo; but there's one match that stands head and shoulders above the rest… Enter the Sandman.
Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Sean O'Malley called out by 'bored' UFC star Cory Sandhagen
Cory “Sandman” Sandhagen is currently the #4 ranked UFC bantamweight prospect coming off a hard-fought defeat to Umar Nurmagomedov in August 2024.
While Dana White stated post-fight at UFC 311 that Sean O'Malley would likely get the next title shot, the 'Sandman' is once again calling for a saccharine, high-profile matchup with the former champion.
“Hey, let's be honest: O'Malley has no business against Merab for an immediate rematch,” Sandhagen argued in an Instagram post earlier this week.
“He got beat up in the first fight, he'll get beat up in the second fight, nobody wants to see that fight.
“I'm not booked yet. I want to fight. I'm so damn bored; I'll even give this fool as much time as he wants, like Aljamain [Sterling] gave him as much time as he wanted.”
Sandhagen, who remains one of the most popular fighters in the bantamweight division, called on Dana White and Hunter Campbell to do whatever it takes to make that fight happen.
“UFC – make the fight the fans want to see, which is me and O'Malley; let's make it quick, i'm so damn bored!
Even from the briefest scroll through the comments section, it seems like many within the MMA community are on board with the idea of a Suga vs. Sandman showdown.
Former champion TJ Dillashaw wrote “Let's go” under the video, flyweight contender Charles Johnson responded “Agree,” while lightweight Terrance McKinney simply said, “The world needs this.”
As previously noted, there are a handful of fighters who could potentially welcome O'Malley back to the octagon, including Sandhagen, but who is on a winning streak and who is currently available?
Ranked fightersLast fightLast five fightsBooked or available?Sean O'Malley (1)M. Dvalishvili (L)3-1-1AvailablePetr Yan (2)D. Figueiredo (W)2-3AvailableUmar Nurmagomedov (3)M. Dvalishvili (L)4-1Available*Cory Sandhagen (4)U. Nurmagomedov (L)3-2AvailableDeiveson Figueiredo (5)P. Yan (L)3-2AvailableMarlon Vera (6)D. Figueiredo (L)2-3AvailableHenry Cejudo (7)M. Dvalishvili (L)3-2Booked vs YadongSong Yadong (8)P. Yan (L)3-2Booked vs CejudoRob Font (9)Kyler Phillips (W)2-3Booked vs CruzMario Bautista (10)J. Aldo (W)5-0Available*Correct as of January 2025 fought U. Nurmagomedov at UFC 311.
Who would you like to see Sean O'Malley fight next, and who do you think would win in a fight between him and Cory Sandhagen?
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