Not hating on Sean O'Malley potentially getting a title rematch, top UFC bantamweight remains keen on fighting 'Suga'

Sean O'Malley last entered the octagon in September as he suffered a unanimous decision loss to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306, losing the bantamweight title in the process. While he had torn labrum surgery after the bout, 'Suga' appears to be nearing his return.

Cory Sandhagen had been angling for the opportunity to face the No.1-ranked bantamweight, however, he will instead take on Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC Fight Night 256. 'The Sandman' recently revealed that he remains interested in the matchup. Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, the No.4-ranked bantamweight shared that his request for the matchup was quickly shut down, before adding:

"Merab and him, it was a little bit close. The vibe of that fight was that Merab was in control most of the time, but it was still a fairly competitive fight. So, I'm not going to hate on Sean for getting his rematch, but I just want to fight him because I want to fight some of the best guys in the world and Sean and Merab are the two guys in the top-five that I haven't fought yet and I really want to see how I do against them."

When asked if he was annoyed by O'Malley receiving another title opportunity, Sandhagen stated:

"I don't really waste my time being super annoyed or mad about the way that I know that it works. Some people have that stuff and some people don't. I get the luxury of always saying that I was myself. I never really cared about being famous or making a ton of money or anything in this sport. I literally just wanted to be the best in the world at fighting."

Check out Cory Sandhagen's comments on Sean O'Malley below:

Sandhagen added that he believes his fights speak for themselves. He noted that when he attempts to be inauthentic, his skin begins to crawl. 'The Sandman' acknowledged that it is hard to become a star with his mentality, but he is in it for the love of fighting.

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Sean O'Malley reportedly set to face Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 316

Sean O'Malley immediately expressed his desire in a rematch against Merab Dvalishvili following his UFC 306 loss. It appears that the No.1-ranked bantamweight will get his wish. X user @realkevink was the first with the news, tweeting:

"🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨 Sean O’Malley vs Merab Dvalishvili is Official for the #UFC316 Main Event 🔥 Suga is currently in Fight Camp as well. I am Unsure The Current Status of Pantoja KKF. At The Moment #UFC316 looks like: Sean vs Merab 2 Kayla vs Pena Co Main"

Check out the tweet on Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O'Malley 2 below:

While nothing has been announced by the UFC, both O'Malley and Dvalishvili expressed interest in a rematch after their first clash. Despite fans claiming that 'Suga' should face a contender, it appears his starpower will earn him the right to fight for the title.