Cory Sandhagen Warned About Facing Similar Fate as Sean O’Malley against Merab Dvalishvili

Sean O'Malley shares his prediction for the upcoming bantamweight title fight between Merab Dvalishvili and Cory Sandhagen.

Cory Sandhagen Warned About Facing Similar Fate as Sean O’Malley against Merab Dvalishvili

Sean O'Malley is confused about picking the winner of Merab Dvalishvili vs. Cory Sandhagen (via X)

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Cory Sandhagen is currently busy preparing for his upcoming UFC bantamweight title shot against reigning champion Merab Dvalishvili. The fight is officially scheduled to take place in the co-main event of UFC 320 inside the T-Mobile Arena. Going into the highly anticipated fight, the ‘Sandman’ is considered an underdog due to Dvalishvili’s incredible momentum.

In his most recent fight, Dvalishvili defended his UFC bantamweight championship against former champion Sean O’Malley, securing victory through submission. This marked the second consecutive occasion where the Georgian fighter defeated O’Malley, originally capturing the belt earlier at UFC 306. 

For their anticipated rematch at UFC 316, O’Malley was extremely well prepared, successfully ticking every training box, yet ultimately failing against the ‘Machine’. Recently, ‘Suga’ publicly shared his prediction for the upcoming title fight between Merab Dvalishvili and Sandhagen.

Part of me feels like Merab’s gonna go out there and do kind of what he did to me — grab a hold of him, wrestle, takedown, just kind of stay on him. Then part of me is like Cory’s hungry, Cory wants it, he’s gonna go out there and find a way to win.

Sean O’Malley via YouTube 

Sandhagen is primarily known as a dangerous striker, holding eight knockout victories, and consistently prefers keeping the fight standing. Despite this, Dvalishvili has maintained an excellent record against strikers, repeatedly using his relentless wrestling ability to dominate them.

He has fought experienced veterans like Jose Aldo and Petr Yan, applying nonstop pressure and overwhelming both fighters across multiple rounds. Among younger opponents, Dvalishvili defeated Umar Nurmagomedov, who had previously beaten Sandhagen dominantly to earn his title shot.

Merab Dvalishvili is confident about his win and has talked about hitting the milestone of 100 takedowns against Sandhagen. However, irrespective of all this, the ‘Sandman’ is confident about winning and believes he’s currently in his peak form. 

The fighter is already looking past Dvalishvili and has shown a glimpse of his reign as the new UFC bantamweight champion. Sandhagen wants to take revenge against Umar Nurmagomedov and Petr Yan while fighting in the US, making them travel. Regardless, it would be interesting to see what approach the challenger will take in order to beat the relentless Georgian. 

UFC champion puts Merab Dvalishvili second in the pound-for-pound list 

Merab Dvalishvili’s title run has been nothing short of dominant, showcasing relentless wrestling, unmatched cardio, and pressure against elite competition. He had to endure years of waiting, constantly proving himself against top contenders, struggling to receive the championship opportunity.

Merab Dvalishvili's dominant title reign
Merab Dvalishvili’s dominant title reign (via X)

Part of his resentment toward Umar Nurmagomedov stems from believing the Dagestani was unfairly gifted a shot due to Khabib Nurmagomedov’s influence. Despite frustrations, Dvalishvili’s performances speak volumes, having already fought twice this year and preparing for a third defense against Cory Sandhagen.

He even hinted at fighting a fourth time, showing unmatched activity and setting himself apart as the most consistent champion. Currently ranked #3 pound-for-pound and flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja recently criticized rankings, insisting Dvalishvili deserves a higher placement.

About pound for pound [rankings], that’s what I think. Number one, Islam Makhachev. Number two, Pantoja, Merab [Dvalishvili], and [Ilia] Topuria. Merab is cool man, I love Merab. I love his style. 

Alexandre Pantoja via OverDogs Podcast 

Pantoja currently sits at #5 in the pound-for-pound rankings, which has drawn criticism from fans, given his flyweight dominance. The Brazilian champion has expressed interest in moving up a weight class, targeting Merab Dvalishvili to achieve double-champion status.

According to Dvalishvili’s coach, the upcoming White House event would serve as the perfect stage to showcase such a groundbreaking matchup. It remains uncertain whether the UFC top brass will seize this opportunity, though fans strongly desire the matchup’s realization.

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