Latest news with #CorySandhagen
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cory Sandhagen: Sean O'Malley fought scared against Merab Dvalishvili in UFC 316 rematch
Cory Sandhagen has been studying UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili closely. "The Sandman" was the most invested party in attendance at UFC 316 when Dvalishvili rematched his rival Sean O'Malley earlier this month in Newark, New Jersey. After Dvalishvili scored a third-round submission win over O'Malley, Sandhagen was front and center to make his own presence felt. Advertisement Speaking on Wednesday's edition of "The Ariel Helwani Show," the top contender shared his sympathy for the former champion O'Malley after losing a second straight fight to Dvalishvili. "I kind of thought O'Malley would do a little bit better. He didn't do so hot," Sandhagen said. "He definitely seemed a little off. So I kind of feel for the dude, too. I think he made some pretty big changes in his life. I hear him talk all the time about signs that the universe sends him from wherever it's coming from, and he was getting all the signs and stuff [that he was going to win]. I've been in a situation where I thought that everything was really lined up for things to go my way and then not had them go that way, so I feel for the dude. "It definitely wasn't the best performance in the world, but Merab looks like he just keeps getting better and better, so good for Merab too." Sandhagen reestablished himself as the likely next title challenger this past May with a second-round knockout of former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC Des Moines. The fact that his win came sandwiched between the pair of Dvalishvili vs. O'Malley fights helped keep Sandhagen in the conversation. Advertisement O'Malley's initial loss to Dvalishvili in September appeared to set the table for Sandhagen to get a fight with the former champ. Instead, the promotion went the instant rematch route for "Sugar," which led Sandhagen toward Figueiredo. In that first Dvalishvili vs. O'Malley clash, the latter survived all 25 minutes and lost a unanimous decision, but the differences between O'Malley's two performances were clear for Sandhagen. "The first fight, the whole vibe of the fight was that Sean wasn't in control that much," Sandhagen said. "Even though maybe round-by-round, if you want to look at it under a microscope, it was kind of close, but the vibe of the fight was that he wasn't winning. This fight [at UFC 316], to me, he didn't look hardly in control at all. Everyone, especially in this fight, was kind of saying, 'Sean will knock him out, Sean has a puncher's chance, blah, blah, blah.' But the more I thought about it — man, Merab doesn't give you a ton of opportunities to step in and get hit. "Merab moves backward when he gets hit, and it's really hard to knock out a guy that, when you hit him, he's going away from the energy of the shot that you're throwing. So he's definitely just a tough guy to knock out for that reason because he's really hard to catch on the hard step, and that's when O'Malley hits people the best. [O'Malley] was kind of afraid of the wrestling, you could tell. It just wasn't that great." Advertisement Nothing has been made official yet regarding Sandhagen's role as the division's next title challenger, but that was the direction hinted at as UFC 316 came to a close, with Dvalishvili welcoming the challenge. The pair had a brief interaction backstage, which Sandhagen revealed to be cordial. Regardless of everyone seemingly being on board with the fight in theory, Sandhagen says he hasn't been "100%" promised by the UFC that he's next up. "It would be a really big, giant letdown, and I would probably start crying if I wasn't the guy after all of that," he said with a laugh. Advertisement Sandhagen, 33, is no stranger to difficult stylistic bouts and high-pressure wrestling scenarios. Take his most recent loss, a unanimous decision against Umar Nurmagomedov this past August, for example. Nurmagomedov gave Sandhagen all he could handle and ultimately pushed the American to arguably his best career performance, even in defeat. Against Dvalishvili, Sandhagen believes he has what it takes to stop a seemingly unstoppable champion. "The conditioning pays off for him big time," Sandhagen said of Dvalishvili. "He's not the most intimidating guy to go into a fight against in terms of getting finished — outside of, of course, him adding in some submission threats, which I'm sure he's going to continue to do. But Merab deserves a lot of respect to be put on his name, by all means. I also think too, though, that if you fight Merab in the proper way, you can be as much of a motherf***er to Merab as he is to everyone else. You kind of just have to know how to do that. "The last two wins that he's had, have been people who move their feet a ton. And I just know, speaking from experience, that will get you really tired, and it kind of seems like a little bit of a compensate way to stay away from clinching and wrestling the guy. I'm not afraid to wrestle. You guys saw in the Umar fight that if I get taken down, I will get up immediately if I want to. That's just a pain in the ass to fight. Not to mention that Merab makes a lot of wide movements with his hands — he's pretty darty and looks fidgety and difficult to hit. But he makes a lot of mistakes with his hands. "I kind of plan on master-classing Merab," Sandhagen continued. "I just have to out-MMA him everywhere and not be scared to wrestle with him or scared to get tired. That's like 101 in learning how to fight wrestlers. If you're scared to get tired, you're going to lose. Umar did not do that, but Sean, I think, was a little bit afraid to get tired in that one, and I think that kind of works in the inverse a lot of the time because then you just start moving your feet a lot more and just makes you more tired in the long run. So there's a lot there, but I'm excited to face the challenge."
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Cory Sandhagen, Paul Walter Hauser and Marc Raimondi in studio, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., On The Nose and more
Catch today's edition of "The Ariel Helwani Show" live on Uncrowned and YouTube at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT/6 p.m. UK time as Ariel Helwani and the Boys In The Back set the table for the combat sports weekend with another eclectic lineup of guests. Wednesday's rundown can be seen below. 1 p.m. ET: Ariel kicks off the show by answering all your questions on the latest edition of On The Nose. Advertisement 2 p.m. ET: Cory Sandhagen previews his potential UFC title fight against Merab Dvalishvili. 2:30 p.m. ET: Old friend Marc Raimondi joins us in-studio to discuss his upcoming book, "Say Hello to the Bad Guys: How Professional Wrestling's New World Order Changed America." 3:30 p.m. ET: Paul Walter Hauser — Golden Globe Award winner, Primetime Emmy Award winner, and up-and-coming professional wrestler — join us in-studio. Catch all new episodes of "The Ariel Helwani Show" live every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET on Uncrowned and The Ariel Helwani Show's YouTube page. To listen to every episode, subscribe on Spotify or iTunes.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Merab Dvalishvili Open to Super Fight With Fellow UFC Champion
Merab Dvalishvili Open to Super Fight With Fellow UFC Champion originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Merab Dvalishvili successfully defended the bantamweight title for the second time on Saturday night. Advertisement It was a rematch against former champion Sean O'Malley, but Dvalishvili proved he's still improving. The Georgian did well mixing up his attacks, landing punches during wild exchanges with O'Malley, however it was once again his relentless work rate that wore out his opponent. He submitted a tired 'Suga' at the end of the third round with a nasty choke, earning his second career finish inside of the octagon and first since 2021 against Marlon Moraes. Dvalishvili is likely to take on No. four ranked Cory Sandhagen later this year. If he wins, it would be his 14th straight victory, putting him in rare air with Jon Jones (19), Anderson Silva (16), Islam Makhachev (15), and Kamaru Usman (15). Today he was asked by combat sports reporter Ariel Helwani about a potential super fight with UFC Flyweight Champion Alexandre Pantoja and is on board with the potential bout. 'Yes, if he will move up in my weight class and if the UFC is interested in that, no problem,' Dvalishvili said. 'I'm sure a lot of people will be interested in this fight. I respect Pantoja. He will be a tough opponent for me. If Pantoja wants this and if the UFC wants this, I have no problem with that." Advertisement Pantoja has cleaned out the flyweight division in a similar way to Dvalishvili as the Brazilian has won seven in a row. He's scheduled to take on Kai Kara-France later this month at UFC 317, but with another defense, it could be time for him to try becoming a champion in two weight classes. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
10-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Henry Cejudo high on UFC champ Merab Dvalishvili but thinks loss to Cory Sandhagen coming
Henry Cejudo high on UFC champ Merab Dvalishvili but thinks loss to Cory Sandhagen coming Henry Cejudo sees Cory Sandhagen as the one to dethrone UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili. Dvalishvili (20-4 MMA, 13-2 UFC) notched his second title defense when he submitted Sean O'Malley in Saturday's UFC 316 main event. He has already been touted by the likes of Jon Anik as the greatest bantamweight of all time. Cejudo thinks Dvalishvili can reach that territory if he can get past Sandhagen (18-5 MMA, 11-4 UFC), who is expected to be next in line. "If he beats Cory Sandhagen in this fight, yes, I'm going to put him at pound-for-pound the best fighter in the world," Cejudo said of Dvalishvili on his "Pound 4 Pound" podcast with Kamaru Usman. "One hundred percent." However, Cejudo isn't sure if Dvalishvili is capable of beating Sandhagen, who's coming off a stoppage win over Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC on ESPN 67 last month. "But that being said, check this out: As much as I complimented Merab, I don't think he beats Cory Sandhagen," Cejudo said. "I've been really good with my picks in the bantamweight division. The only reason why I feel the person that could give, that's the most problematic for a guy like Merab Dvalishvili, it is Cory Sandhagen because Cory Sandhagen brings a lot more thump than a guy like Sean O'Malley, and he is a submission threat a lot more than O'Malley. And he's big. The other thing, too, Cory Sandhagen can get up to his feet. "He's shown that against a guy like Umar Nurmagomedov. He throws knees up the middle, the one that he caught Frankie Edgar with, the dude is freaking dangerous all around. And I do believe or I have a feeling that the person to potentially get the job done with a guy like Merab – and again, I've got to compliment Merab. You have to, he's the bantamweight GOAT, but if there's a guy in that division right now with all the tools and the fact that he can get up, and he's young, and he's younger than him, it is Cory Sandhagen."
Forbes
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Merab Dvalishvili Vs. Cory Sandhagen Opening Betting Odds
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - JUNE 07: Merab Dvalishvili of Georgia celebrates after defeating Sean O'Malley ... More of the United States in the bantamweight title bout during UFC 316 at the Prudential Center on June 07, 2025 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo) On Saturday, Merab Dvalishvili easily defended his UFC bantamweight title with a third-round submission win over former UFC champion Sean O'Malley. Following his dismissal of O'Malley, the man Dvalishvili defeated to become the 135-pound champ, UFC CEO Dana White implied that Dvalishvili's next test will come in the form of former interim UFC title challenger Cory Sandhagen. No date or location has been set for the Dvalishvili vs. Sandhagen matchup, but with the champ saying he wants to defend his crown two more times in 2025, the fight could come sooner rather than later. NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - JUNE 07: Merab Dvalishvili of Georgia reacts after his submission victory ... More against Sean O'Malley in the UFC bantamweight championship bout during the UFC 316 event at Prudential Center on June 07, 2025 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC) When BetOnline offered the opening betting lines for Dvalishvili vs. Sandhagen, the defending champ was listed as a -260 betting favorite over the challenger, who opened at +220. Those odds have shifted significantly since they were published in the hours after Dvalishvili's victory over O'Malley at UFC 316. Today, Dvalishvili is a -400 favorite over Sandhagen, who is the +330 betting underdog. NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - JUNE 07: Merab Dvalishvili of Georgia enters the octagon before the ... More bantamweight title bout against Sean O'Malley of the United States during UFC 316 at the Prudential Center on June 07, 2025 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo) Merab Dvalishvili (20-4), a long-time training partner of former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling stepped into the spotlight of the promotion's 135-pound division in September 2014 when he scored a unanimous decision win over then-champion Sean O'Malley in the main event of UFC 306. The 33-year-old Dvalishvili joined the UFC in 2017 as much-hyped prospect. At the time, Dvalishvili was 7-2 and had won and defended the Ring of Combat bantamweight crown. Dvalishvili did not have a smooth start to his UFC run, losing his first two fights. Falling to Frankie Saenz by decision, and the second, to Ricky Simon, via submission. In September 2018, things clicked in place for the Serra-Longo Fight Team product, and he has not lost since. Heading into UFC 306, Dvalishvili was on a 10-fight winning streak. Prior to his matchup against O'Malley, Dvalishvili had defeated Marlon Moraes, Jose Aldo, Petr Yan, and Henry Cejudo. The win over O'Malley stretched his winning streak to 11 straight. Dvalishvili extended that streak to 12 when he defended his title with a unanimous decision win over the previously unbeaten Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311. Dvalishvili faced O'Malley in a rematch at UFC 316. O'Malley had not fought since he lost his title to Dvalishvili at UFC 306. Despite making wholesale changes to his life and training heading into UFC 316, Dvalishvili easily dispatched O'Malley in their second meeting, ending the fight in the third round via submission. DES MOINES, IOWA - MAY 03: Cory Sandhagen reacts after his TKO victory over Deiveson Figueiredo of ... More Brazil in their bantamweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Wells Fargo Arena on May 03, 2025 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC) Cory Sandhagen (18-5) joined the UFC in 2018 with a 7-1 record. He went unbeaten in his first five fights with the promotion. That run, culminating with decision wins over John Lineker and Raphael Assuncao, earned the then 28-year-old the No. 4 ranking in the UFC's 135 weight class and a matchup against the No. 2 ranked Aljamain Sterling. The slick Sterling submitted Sandhagen in the first round, earning himself a shot at the UFC bantamweight title, a belt he won in his next outing. As for Sandhagen, the submission setback did not hurt him in the rankings, as he remained at No. 4. Following his first UFC loss, the UFC booked Sandhagen against the No. 1 ranked Marlon Moraes. Sandhagen won that fight and a 'Performance of the Night' bonus with a highlight-reel spinning wheel kick KO. That stunning stoppage earned Sandhagen the No. 2 ranking in the division and a fight against former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar. Sandhagen dispatched Edgar with a vicious flying knee 28 seconds into that bout. He again earned a 'Performance of the Night' bonus for his effort. A decision loss to former UFC bantamweight champ T.J. Dillashaw followed Sandhagen's win over Edgar. He then faced ex-135-pound champ Petr Yan for the interim UFC bantamweight belt in October 2021. The scrap was 'Fight of the Night' on the UFC 267 pay-per-view card, but Yan picked up the victory and the belt via unanimous decision. Following that setback, Sandhagen, who is now 33, was on a three-fight winning streak with victories over Song Yadong, Marlon 'Chito' Vera, and Rob Font. Sandhagen saw that run come to a halt in August 2024 when he dropped a decision to Umar Nurmagomedov in a bantamweight title eliminator. In May, Sandhagen rebounded from his loss to Nurmagomedov with a TKO win over former UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo. Sandhagen is the No. 4 fighter in the official UFC bantamweight rankings. We will have more on the Merab Dvalishvili vs. Cory Sandhagen UFC bantamweight title fight as news breaks.
