Sean O’Malley performed underwhelmingly in his title defense against Merab Dvalishvilli. This came after promising his fans a knockout victory at UFC 306 (UFC Noche). O’Malley was heavily dominated throughout the fight, not throwing any strikes and looking like a shadow of himself. He barely threw strikes, and even fewer strikes had landed till the last round of the fight.
Many fans mocked ‘Suga’ for losing to the Georgian fighter. The inability to keep the fight on his feet cost him dearly. As such, the betting favorite suffered a unanimous decision loss to lose his bantamweight title. Sean O’Malley took the loss on his chest and did something totally unexpected. Instead of finding excuses in his game, he apologized for his sub-par performance.
Over promised, under delivered. Sorry. Love you guys.
Sean O’Malley via X
You took a division that once didn’t exsist and at another time was going to be dropped into the most watched division in the sport. You broke ALL TIME gate record and tried to win until the bitter end. Apology REJECTED. Wasn’t needed.
Chael Sonnen via X
You took a division that once didn’t exsist and at another time was going to be dropped into the most watched division in the sport. You broke ALL TIME gate record and tried to win until the bitter end. Apology REJECTED. Wasn’t needed. https://t.co/tTrUOkXfXV
— Chael Sonnen (@ChaelSonnen) September 15, 2024
‘Suga’ had a clueless night to forget as he showed no takedown defense to the Georgian’s pressure. O’Malley did not throw strikes at all, even after his corner, and coach Tim Welch suggested alternatives. O’Malley needs to change some of his approaches, considering there are more all-round fighters in the division. It turns out he received a callout from one of the most well-rounded fighters in the division.
Sean O’Malley gets a callout from top bantamweight contender after Sphere loss
Sean O’Malley had a bad stylistic loss against Merab Dvalishvilli at UFC 306. Fans were left wondering about O’Malley’s future in the UFC. Despite losing the title, ‘Suga’ will have plenty of options waiting for him when he returns. Cory Sandhagen, the # 4 ranked UFC bantamweight contender, is one of them.
Cory Sandhagen calls out Sean O’Malley (via Imago)Sandhagen has a history with O’Malley. In the past, the top contender did not like how Suga used his fame to get top matchups in the promotion. Soon after, O’Malley fired back at the ‘famous guy leverage’ accusations.
Even UFC Hall of Famer Chael Sonnen also got involved in the beef. The UFC legend offered Sandhagen some advice. Now, it appears fate has set them up on a collision course. Sandhagen made sure to voice out his thoughts after O’Malley lost to Dvalishvili.
Watching Merab win the title… realizing you get Sandman vs Suga cause of it. Congrats, Merab. You’ve earned it, man. O’Malley, time to give the people what they want. I don’t promise to not kiss you.
Cory Sandhagen via X
This is a banger of a fight, as both fighters are typical strikers. One must note that Sandhagen has intensively trained grappling and has used takedowns to defeat other opponents. As such, O’Malley needs to work on his grappling defense effectively. Suga could also get to test himself against the top of the division. This could help him be in the loop for a future title fight.
