UFC star Sean O’Malley has given his thoughts on the upcoming Merab Dvalishvili vs Cory Sandhagen fight at UFC 320.
As we know, Sean O’Malley is a pretty interesting character study in the bantamweight division. He’s the former champion at 135 pounds but after losing consecutive fights to current champ Merab Dvalishvili, many have been left to wonder what exactly could be next for him.
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It’s a tough thing to figure out. One thing we know for sure, though, is that O’Malley will be watching closely at UFC 320 when Dvalishvili defends his gold against Cory Sandhagen. The challenger has earned the right to get a crack at the belt and while he may be seen as the underdog here, he’s also got the kind of striking necessary to cause Merab some serious problems.
In a recent interview, O’Malley opened up on how he thinks Dvalishvili vs Sandhagen could play out.
O’Malley’s view on Dvalishvili vs Sandhagen
“The dude jumped into a frozen lake on top of his head; not surprised that he’s fighting back-to-back-to-back times,” O’Malley told MMA Junkie of Dvalishvili. “He’s a savage. He’s built for fighting, and why not take advantage of it? Not surprised at all.”
“Merab is improving each fight, but he’s still – to this day, I watch him and I’m like, ‘God, I know I can knock this motherf*cker out,’” O’Malley said. “He’s sloppy in certain positions and he’s beatable. He’s definitely beatable and you can’t count Cory out.
“Cory is one of the most skilled guys in the UFC, not just in the bantamweight division. You can’t count Cory out. I’m very curious to see how that fight plays out, what happens if Merab gets a hold of Cory. Merab felt super strong, so I’m curious to see what kind of scrambles Cory can create and if he can give him any trouble.”
Quotes via MMA Junkie