Cory Sandhagen foresees a protracted evening for each Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili.
The 2 high bantamweights are anticipated to collide someday in 2024 with O’Malley’s UFC title on the road. O’Malley is unbeaten over his previous seven bouts and lately punctuated a title-winning knockout of Aljamain Sterling along with his first belt protection in opposition to Marlon Vera. Dvalishvili, however, has gained a division-best 10 straight UFC bouts and is already put in because the betting favourite within the potential matchup regardless of being the challenger.
Sandhagen can be a high contender in UFC’s bantamweight division and might be retaining a detailed eye on the title to see who emerges with it wrapped round their waist.
He broke down the matchup on a current episode of The MMA Hour.
“It’s going to be a hell of a combat for the each of them, to be trustworthy,” Sandhagen stated. “I positively know that Merab’s greatest subject in combating is clearing that hole. He isn’t the quickest man on this planet. He doesn’t have a construct that clears the hole very well. He type of will get folks drained after which that hole turns into rather a lot simpler to shut. However O’Malley is without doubt one of the greatest at hitting folks in that void and in that area in between me and also you.
“It’s going to be a very difficult combat for the each of them, as a result of normally you say in a combat it’s both going to go one man’s method or the opposite man’s method. However I feel on this one, it’s going to be a battle, forwards and backwards, and each of those guys [will be] getting what they need. I feel that Sean will certainly be capable to crack him when he clears that void.
“If Merab can eat it or get better or no matter, I feel that he can run his sport plan,” Sandhagen continued, “After which that may occur once more, after which Merab will run his sport plan, after which that may occur once more. I feel that they each have very particular methods to win this combat, and I feel it’s going to be a hell of a combat for the each of them. However Merab additionally has proven to be a bit of bit chinny in these spots, and Sean positively hits exhausting as shit.”
Sandhagen, 32, has his personal enterprise to take care of as properly.
At the moment ranked No. 4 in MMA Combating’s international bantamweight rankings, Sandhagen is probably going one win away from difficult for UFC gold. He appears to take that subsequent step on Aug. 3 when he faces Umar Nurmagomedov in the principle occasion of UFC Abu Dhabi. Sandhagen advised MMA Combating that UFC officers already knowledgeable him that he’s more likely to earn a title shot with a win.
Due to that, Sandhagen has a vested curiosity in O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili — and there’s one final result he clearly prefers over the opposite.
“We’re rooting for Sean O’Malley. We wish O’Malley to win,” Sandhagen stated. “So long as he’s not going to go off and do some silly boxing combat with that man, or so long as he’s not going to attempt to go as much as 145. Don’t do this, Sean. Simply keep within the division, attempt to clear us all out for those who can. However don’t begin doing all that stuff, man. To me, once more, I’ll be actual candid, I feel that there’s a tactic with some people who they take the place they go high-risk, high-reward fights. Nobody needs to take high-risk, low-reward fights. And you may make the argument that for those who go up a weight class and combat Ilia [Topuria], that’s a really powerful combat, after all. It’s equally as powerful if not more durable than anybody on this division as properly, to be trustworthy.
“However what do you lose? You don’t actually lose something aside from getting your ass whooped, which, we’re all fighters and we’re very used to getting our asses whooped all the time. So that you make an enormous paycheck, you get to return again to your weight class, and then you definitely get to be like, ‘Thumbs up, I’m nonetheless the champ at this at the least.’ Then identical factor in boxing. Should you go to boxing and also you lose a combat in a sport that you simply don’t even take part in, there’s no loss in any of that aside from getting your ass whooped, which once more, none of us are afraid of. So I disagree with it as a result of it could favor me extra if he caught round and I acquired to combat him.”
O’Malley’s wandering eye for different pursuits outdoors of the bantamweight division will not be the one hurdle that might stand in Sandhagen’s method.
UFC Corridor of Famer and former champ Jose Aldo all of a sudden thrust himself into the 135-pound combine with a classic win at UFC 301 following a two-year retirement. Aldo is at present a free agent and undecided on his UFC future, nevertheless he expressed curiosity in short-cutting to the entrance of the road to problem for the UFC bantamweight title.
“No method, man,” Sandhagen stated concerning the thought. “I like Aldo. Aldo’s absolutely the man. However you don’t get to return again from retirement after which beat a man method down within the rankings after which simply combat for the belt. Like, I like Aldo, however positively not. There’s too many good guys within the division for that to be the case.”
