Discussion ensued about Sean O'Malley's potential to challenge for the title once more, with Daniel Cormier at the forefront.
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Over the weekend, in the main event of UFC 316, "Sugar" Sean O'Malley once again fell short against Merab Dvalishvili in a bantamweight title fight, this time by TKO. Their first encounter at UFC 306 ended in a split decision victory for the Georgian. In an interview with Scott Van Pelt on ESPN, legendary two-division former champion Daniel Cormier dropped some honest truth bombs:
"Things ain't looking good for the Suga Show. He's lost to the champ twice, and until the big cheese retires or gets dethroned, it's a uphill battle for O'Malley to reclaim that gold. His next opponent just might be Umar Nurmagomedov."
Cormier continued, "It's only gonna get rougher. But Merab's proven he's the king in this division, and he did it in a way that left no doubt this time by finishing the nasty fight. If Merab keeps finishing fights left and right, he's gonna be a real thorn in the side of the UFC."
O'Malley previously snagged the title by knocking out Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292 and successfully defended it against Marlon Vera in March last year. But last fall, he lost the belt to Dvalishvili at UFC 306 and has now lost to him again, leaving his future as the No. 1 ranked men's bantamweight in the UFC[1][2] uncertain.
For the lightweight division, recent and upcoming fights involve other contenders such as Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira, who are gearing up to face off for the vacant UFC lightweight championship[4]. As of now, there seems to be no viable path for Sean O'Malley to take part in these high-stakes battles, let alone claim that title again.
👇 Worth Checking Out:
- Yair Rodriguez and Diego Lopez get mouthy before UFC Night
- Dana White shares his thoughts on Merab Dvalishvili's greatness
- Sandhagen gives props to Dvalishvili's dominant win over O'Malley
Bookmakers may consider Merab Dvalishvili the dominant force in the bantamweight division, given his recent TKO victory over Sean O'Malley and his current unbeaten streak. With no clear path for O'Malley to compete in the high-stakes lightweight division battles, punters may be less likely to place bets on him to recapture a UFC title.
