Cory Sandhagen Explains Why Sean O'Malley is Avoiding Bantamweight Showdown

Bantamweight veteran Cory Sandhagen has openly expressed his desire for a bout against fellow American contender Sean O’Malley.

Last October, Sandhagen faced a tough decision loss in a bantamweight title fight against then-champion Merab Dvalishvili. This championship opportunity followed Sandhagen's earlier victory in May of the same year, where he defeated former flyweight king Deiveson Figueiredo. At the time, Dvalishvili, known for his activity, aimed to set a record for most title defenses in a single year, having already successfully defended his 135-pound belt twice in the first half of 2025.

Following this defeat, both Sandhagen and the broader MMA community have advocated for a showdown with O’Malley. The demand stems from the fact that both fighters had previously fallen to the then-reigning champion. Given their exceptional striking abilities, a matchup between them promises an exciting, fan-friendly contest, potentially culminating in a highlight-reel finish—a specialty both men have demonstrated numerous times in their UFC careers.

Sandhagen Discusses Potential O’Malley Bout

The recent announcement of the UFC White House card, UFC 326, saw Sean O’Malley's inclusion, which was anticipated. However, his scheduled opponent raised eyebrows: O’Malley is slated to fight Canadian prospect Aiemann Zahabi, who is currently on an impressive seven-fight winning streak.

The prevailing question among MMA fans was why this fight wasn't against Sandhagen. Sandhagen himself shared his perspective on why a potential bout with O’Malley has not yet come to fruition.

Sandhagen commented, “I believe I present a difficult challenge for him. Sean’s primary strategy revolves around maintaining distance, utilizing his reach, and fighting from the outside, but that approach won't be effective against me. Sean excels at taking on low-risk, high-reward opponents. I find that somewhat disappointing because I don't think that resonates with fans as much as taking significant risks.”

He concluded by calling this approach "a bit lame" in his opinion.

Considering the current state of the bantamweight division, who do you believe Cory Sandhagen should fight next?