UFC superstar Sean O’Malley was pitted against Merab Dvalishvili at the promotion’s flagship UFC 306 event. ‘Suga’ hoped to have his hand raised before the Sphere audience at the end of the bout. But, ‘The Machine’ proved to be more than well-oiled and looked seemingly indestructible. Now, amid speculation of a rematch, fellow contender Cory Sandhagen pointed out the former champ’s biggest mistake that cost him the fight.
When Sean O’Malley delivered a striking masterclass against Chito Vera at UFC 299, many expected him to continue his success by halting Merab Dvalishvili’s impressive winning streak. However, Dvalishvili proved to be a formidable opponent with his relentless cardio and grappling skills that ultimately overpowered him. Although O’Malley started to find his rhythm in the later rounds, Dvalishvili was too far ahead on the scorecards.
Currently ranked #4 in the bantamweight division, Cory Sandhagen, who closely observed the fight, believes that Sean O’Malley made some fundamental mistakes. Those mistakes presented Merab with an opportunity to completely neutralize his striking, ultimately triumphing in the highly anticipated encounter.
During a conversation with Luke Thomas, Sandhagen said: “Sean O’Malley definitely held his ground a lot against Merab. But, O’Malley, just through watching him, I think he has a voice in the back of his head where he doesn’t like to get tired. I think that’s one of O’Malley’s weaknesses, to me that’s he’s constantly looking for a KO shot, bu that’s kind of really tough to do if you’re tired, and getting wrestled is very tiring. And so he was standing his ground much better, but he wasn’t throwing much, because he was getting taken down when that would happen.”
MMA: Riyadh Season Noche UFC 306 – OMalley vs Dvalishvili Sep 14, 2024 Las Vegas, Nevada, USA Sean OMalley of the United States red gloves fights Merab Dvalishvili of Georgia blue gloves during Riyadh Season Noche UFC 306 at The Sphere. Las Vegas The Sphere Nevada USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xStephenxR.xSylvaniex 20240915_jpm_cs1_M19570
‘The Sandman’ almost nailed his analysis of the fight. Sean O’Malley was definitely targeting specific punches, particularly that one-two combination he wanted to knock Merab Dvalishvili out with. But looking at the fight from that angle is only part of the story. Those who really focused on the bout can see that O’Malley was waiting to counterattack. That strategy seemed to be inspired by how Marlon Moraes and Henry Cejudo caught Merab in their fights.
However, Merab Dvalishvili, on the other hand, learned from his mistakes and decreased the pace to a point where he wasn’t forcing the takedowns. Instead, he attempted a lot of single and double leg from a close distance only after the opportunity presented itself. It wasn’t like the other fights where ‘The Machine’ left his guard open to pressure his opponents.
Since Sean O’Malley resorted to landing more teep kicks, and not overextending right hands—it was a tell-tale sign of how meticulously Merab was dealing with the former champ. Now—in the bantamweight landscape—a veteran like Cory Sandhagen, who is well capable of understanding and decoding fighting styles, is preparing to face former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo, and he can feel a title fight is very near.
Cory Sandhagen expects a knockout against Deiveson Figueiredo, wants a title shot next
‘The Sandman’s title aspirations are looking healthy, as he is all set to face Deiveson Figueiredo in the main event of UFC Des Moines, Iowa. This fight can make or break his chances, and a win over the former flyweight champ can actually set him up for a title shot.
‘Deus da Guerra’ looked amazing in the bantamweight division so far, even in his last fight against Petr Yan, where he lost via a hard-fought unanimous decision. So, Sandhagen is definitely aware that only a win from here might not work. He needs to make a statement in this performance.
Continuing his conversation with Luke Thomas, ‘The Sandman’ said: “I think that O’Malley and Merab, I personally don’t know if that fight is happening or not, but that’s kind of the word on the street, I know you’ve heard it too. The winner of that fight, I mean all the other guys have fought Merab, and the entire world want to watch me and O’Malley fight badly. I think I have an argument, If I go out and show out against Figueiredo.”
Do you think Cory Sandhagen will face Sean O’Malley or Merab Dvalishvili in the future? Please drop your comments below.
The post Cory Sandhagen Underlines Sean O’Malley’s Biggest ‘Weakness’ Citing Humiliating Loss to Merab Dvalishvili appeared first on EssentiallySports.