UFC Declines O’Malley’s Short-Notice Offer as Sandhagen Secures Title Shot

Booking Sandhagen against champion Merab Dvalishvili in October shut down O’Malley’s three-week turnaround pitch for UFC 318.

Overview

Sean O’Malley volunteered to face Cory Sandhagen on three weeks’ notice after his second loss to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 316.
The UFC rejected O’Malley’s proposal to preserve a direct contender path for Sandhagen against the reigning bantamweight champion.
Cory Sandhagen is officially slated to challenge Merab Dvalishvili for the UFC bantamweight title at UFC 320 in October.
O’Malley carries a two-fight skid into the fall after being dominated and finished by Dvalishvili in their June rematch.
On the Overdogs Podcast, O’Malley praised Sandhagen’s technical arsenal while forecasting that Dvalishvili’s strength and endurance will prevail.