The highly anticipated clash between the two top bantamweights, reigning champion Sean O’Malley and formidable No.1 contender Merab Dvalishvili, is scheduled to take place at the prestigious Las Vegas Sphere in September. This bout holds immense significance as it puts O’Malley’s hard-earned UFC title on the line.
Respected NO.2 contender Cory Sandhagen, known for his insightful analysis, shares his belief that the upcoming fight will be a gruelling battle for both opponents.
“It’s going to be a hell of a fight for the both of them, to be honest,” Sandhagen said. “ I definitely know that Merab’s biggest issue in fighting is clearing that gap. He isn’t the fastest guy in the world. He doesn’t have a build that clears the gap really well and kind of gets people tired, and then that gap becomes a lot easier to close. But O’Malley is one of the best at hitting people in that void and in that space in between me and you.
“It’s going to be a really challenging fight for both of them because usually, you say in a fight, it’s either going to go one guy’s way or the other guy’s way. But I think in this one, it’s going to be a battle, back and forth, and both of these guys will be getting what they want. I think that Sean will definitely be able to crack him when he clears that void.
“If Merab can eat it or recover or whatever,” he continued. “I think that he can run his game plan, and then that might happen again, and then Merab will run his game plan, and then that might happen again. I think that they both have very specific ways to win this fight, and I thinks it’s going to be a hell of a fight for the both of them. But Merab also has shown to be a little bit chinny in those spots, and Sean definitely hits had as s**t.”
The fighter is set to take the next step in his career as he faces Umar Nurmagomedov in the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi. His win at this tournament could earn him a shot at the bantamweight title, and ‘The Sandman’ is 100% vested in the O’Malley vs Dvalishvili bout. In a recent interview with The MMA Hour, he spoke about his thoughts on the match.
“ We’re rooting for Sean O’Malley. We want O’Malley. We want O’Malley to win,” Sandhagen said. “ As long as he’s not going to go off and do some stupid boxing fight with that guy, or as long as he’s not going to try to go up to 145. Don’t do that, Sean.”
“Just stay in the division, try to clear us all out if you can. But don’t start doing all that stuff man. To me, again, I’ll be real candid, I think that there’s a tactic with some people that they take where they go high-risk, high-reward fights. No one wants to take high-risk, low-reward fights. And you can make the argument that if you go up a weight class and fight Ilia Topuria, that’s a very tough fight, of course. It’s equally as tough if not tougher than anyone in this division as well, to be honest.”
