What significant matchups could be on the horizon for Sean O`Malley should he begin a second reign as UFC champion?
O`Malley stunned the MMA world by knocking out Aljamain Sterling to capture the UFC bantamweight title in 2023. Several months later, he defended his championship for the first time, delivering a masterful performance against Chito Vera at UFC 299 and avenging the only loss of his professional career.
However, the `Suga` era at the top was relatively brief. Merab Dvalishvili defeated O`Malley via unanimous decision at UFC 306 last September, claiming the title.
Now, O`Malley is set to face Dvalishvili again in the main event of UFC 316 next Saturday, aiming to reclaim the belt and settle the score.
While his immediate focus is solely on the rematch with Dvalishvili, O`Malley is already aware of the major fights that could materialize if he secures a victory and the title in New Jersey.
Potential Opponents: Petr Yan and Cory Sandhagen
O`Malley stated that he is not necessarily against facing Dvalishvili for a third time after UFC 316, especially if a win makes their series 1-1.
Nevertheless, the former champion indicated that he believes other potential fights might be more significant or appealing.
Discussing his potential next steps following a title win, O`Malley commented, “It depends what the UFC wants.”
“I think there are big fights, me vs. Cory [Sandhagen], me vs. Petr Yan rematch is, I think, a lot bigger than a trilogy with [Dvalishvili].”
He added, “But at the end of the day, I wanna do what the people wanna do.”
“What do the fans want? Me vs. Merab 3, definitely got a little ring to it.”
“`Suga` versus Petr Yan 2, massive. Me versus Cory, it`s a big fight,” O`Malley concluded.
Petr Yan is currently scheduled to compete against Marcus McGhee, a teammate of O`Malley`s, at UFC Abu Dhabi on July 26th. O`Malley`s first encounter with Yan in 2022 resulted in a controversial split decision win for O`Malley.
Cory Sandhagen, who has frequently expressed his desire to fight O`Malley, recently earned a stoppage victory over former UFC champion Deiveson Figueiredo earlier this month.
O`Malley Discusses Receiving an Immediate Rematch
Instead of other contenders vying for the next title shot, O`Malley was granted an immediate rematch against Dvalishvili following his loss.
O`Malley mentioned that the booking of the UFC 316 rematch generated considerable fan backlash from those who felt he didn`t `deserve` an immediate chance to regain the title after being defeated.
Offering his perspective on why the fight was made, O`Malley suggested that Dvalishvili might have perceived him as `the easiest fight` available and readily signed the contract.
Quoting Dvalishvili`s potential thought process, O`Malley speculated, “`I think Merab might be doing it in a way… He’s like, `Oh, I gotta fight Sean. I just beat him. That’s the easiest fight to make. That’s who I want next,“”
For his part, Dvalishvili recently claimed he took it `easy` on O`Malley in their initial fight at UFC 306 and intends to deliver a definitive finish in the rematch at UFC 316, humorously stating he plans to finish him, not kiss him.
Percy Harlow