The rematch with Merab Dvalishvili was crucial for Sean O’Malley, who was determined to reclaim his title. However, he suffered a third-round submission loss, leading to heavy criticism from fans and fighters alike. Adding to the noise, Cory Sandhagen recently claimed that O’Malley’s one-shot knockout days are behind him.
‘Suga’ earned his title with knockout power, famously stopping Aljamain Sterling to claim the belt. But after back-to-back losses to Merab Dvalishvili, fans have started questioning his overall game plan. In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Cory Sandhagen weighed in, saying:
“He got away for a long time just being able to one-shot knock people out, and now he’s facing some real well-rounded fighters, and you just can’t be a one-trick pony anymore.”
Cory Sandhagen believes Sean O'Malley can no longer rely on one-shot knockouts 🥊😲
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) July 5, 2025
"O'Malley gets labelled as a star first before he gets labelled as a good fighter. He has to change a few things, not in his personal life but in his actual fighting style. He got away for a long… pic.twitter.com/PEevT9fzzk
Sandhagen also pointed out that O’Malley is often seen as a star before being recognized as a skilled fighter. He added that the 30-year-old fighter doesn’t need to change anything personally, but he does need to make adjustments to his actual fighting style.
Sean O’Malley’s Co-Host Believes He Can Finish Umar Nurmagomedov
After falling short in two consecutive title fights against Merab Dvalishvili, Sean O’Malley might be exploring a new direction in the bantamweight division. On a recent episode of his YouTube podcast, O’Malley’s co-host Tim Welch brought up the idea of facing Umar Nurmagomedov, who is currently sidelined with a hand injury and also missed his shot at the title. During the episode, the co-host remarked:
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“I think Umar’s a perfect matchup. You’ve improved enough to handle his grappling, and I think you would knock Umar out.”
O’Malley acknowledged that facing Umar would be a tough challenge and pointed out how stacked the bantamweight top 10 is. ‘Suga’ knows that every opponent at that level is a serious threat. Now, all eyes are on what his next move will be.
Also Read: UFC 316 Purse: How Much Money Did Merab Dvalishvili Earn Defeating Sean O’Malley?
