Exclusive: Cory Sandhagen shares definitive prediction for potential Sean O'Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili title fight

Cory Sandhagen recently offered his confident prediction for a potential championship fight between Sean O'Malley and Merab Dvalishvili. The reigning UFC bantamweight champion is expected to defend his title against the No. 1 contender later this year.

Following his decisive victory over Marlon Vera at UFC 299 in March, 'Sugar' initially aimed for a champion vs. champion showdown with featherweight titleholder Ilia Topuria. However, the UFC dismissed this idea, prompting O’Malley to refocus on a bout with Dvalishvili.

Dvalishvili is currently on an impressive 10-fight win streak in the division, making him arguably the most deserving contender for a title shot. 'The Machine' chose to stay on the sidelines while his teammate, Aljamain Sterling, dominated the 135-pound division. Now, with 'Funk Master' moving up to 145 pounds, Dvalishvili is actively pursuing a fight with O'Malley.

There are rumors that O'Malley vs. Dvalishvili might take the main event slot at UFC 306, set for Sept. 14 at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada. However, an official confirmation for the fight is still pending.

During an exclusive interview with James Lynch for Sportskeeda MMA, Sandhagen shared his prediction for the prospective matchup between O'Malley and Dvalishvili. 'The Sandman' leaned towards O'Malley, highlighting the champion's knockout prowess as a counter to the wrestling threat posed by the Georgian-American contender:

"I think O'Malley kinda got the better odds; I mean, the guy knocks people out; he's definitely got a ton of power. Whether or not Merab takes him down a ton of times or not, he still gets to start standing and has a really smooth movement that he gets to, which isn't easy to close in on. You don't get to run over and take that guy down. You have to do a lot of work to close that gap, and that's not easy."

Check out Cory Sandhagen's comments below (24:43):

'The Sandman' is set to face off against Umar Nurmagomedov in a potential title eliminator, which serves as the headlining fight of UFC Abu Dhabi. The Fight Night event is slated for Aug. 3 at the Etihad Arena.

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Sean O'Malley doubtful Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov will happen

During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Sean O'Malley voiced skepticism regarding Umar Nurmagomedov's likelihood of showing up for their upcoming showdown against Cory Sandhagen.

'Sugar' threw shade at Nurmagomedov, alleging that the Dagestani fighter has a habit of withdrawing from scheduled bouts. Nurmagomedov had been slated to face Sandhagen at UFC Nashville last August, but a shoulder injury led to his withdrawal from the event:

"Yeah, I mean, I’ll tune it if it happens. We know Umar likes to pull out, but something happens. So I’ll be surprised if the fight happens. I’m surprised Cory’s such a massive underdog. I think Cory’s one of the most skilled guys in the entire UFC. So I wouldn’t be surprised if Cory beat him at all."

Check out Sean O'Malley's comments below (7:42):