Cory Sandhagen sees Sean O’Malley ‘clipping’ betting favorite Merab Dvalishvili in upcoming title fight

Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili is potentially on the cards for the next bantamweight championship. Previewing the fight, #3 ranked bantamweight contender Cory Sandhagen made a bold prediction. He backed the defending champion against Dvalishvili, who has a 10-fight winning streak.

Betting odds had Sean O’Malley as a significant underdog in a matchup against Merab Dvalishvili. It reflected the public’s opinion, as many favored the Georgian’s chances. However, Cory Sandhagen differed from the majority and backed O’Malley to defeat ‘The Machine.’ Here is what he said:

I think O'Malley has a really good shot at clipping Merab and finishing him. Merab is a far superior wrestler and grappler than O'Malley is, But, O'Malley is a far superior striker than Merab is. That makes it interesting. I could see O'Malley winning.

Cory Sandhagen via Fanatics View

Also, in the interview, Cory Sandhagen advised Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili on how they should approach the fight. ‘The Sandman’ wanted ‘Suga’ to keep it standing and use his accurate strikes to ‘missile’ Dvalishvili. Contrarily, he suggested the #1 contender to take the fight to the ground and control O’Malley there, given he was one of the best wrestlers in the UFC.

Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili had the typical wrestler vs. striker label written on it. Especially considering the high level of skills they possessed. As such, this was the matchup to make, and ‘Suga’ recently confirmed fighting Dvalishvili next. As for Cory Sandhagen, he chased a fight with the dangerous Umar Nurmagomedov to secure his title challenger spot. A win meant ‘The Sandham’ could fight the winner of ‘O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili’ next.

Cory Sandhagen hopes for a fight against Sean O’Malley

In a world where Merab Dvalishvili wasn’t in the UFC bantamweight title picture, Cory Sandhagen would be the front-runner for the title shot. The fight between Sean O’Malley and Sandhagen was in talks among the fanbase for a long time. As such, the #3 ranked bantamweight contender made his case for a title fight, especially against Sean O’Malley.

A fight with Sean O’Malley interested Sandhagen, and he sensed the fans’ pulse. So, he backed the UFC champion to defend his title against ‘The Machine’ and aimed for a showdown with him next. Here is what he said:

I definitely have a case (to fight for the title). If Merab wasn't in the picture I think it would be me and O'Malley. I also think that people really want to watch me and O'Malley fight. So, hopefully, he go gets the job done against Merab and I beat Umar. (Then), me and O'Malley can have a really big fight something that people have been wanting to see for years now.

Cory Sandhagen via Fanatics View

Stylistically, a fight between Cory Sandhagen and Sean O’Malley would be a treat. They are two of the best strikers in the bantamweight division. With the bantamweight title at stake, the hype for the fight would be massive. However, both fighters have one more task before their potential fight could go down.

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