Latest news with #Merab
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Sean O'Malley aims to become 'undeniable,' earn third UFC fight vs. Merab Dvalishvili
Sean O'Malley aims to become 'undeniable,' earn third UFC fight vs. Merab Dvalishvili Sean O'Malley is aware of the uphill climb to get a third crack at UFC champion Merab Dvalishvili, but he's up for the task. After losing a second consecutive title bout to Dvalishvili (20-4 MMA, 13-2 UFC) at UFC 316 this month, O'Malley (18-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) is in the difficult position of being held out of the championship picture until "The Machine" is dethroned and there's turnover at the top. There have been ultra-rare instances of fighters who are 0-2 against a reigning champion, and a third fight is set up, with Max Holloway against Alexander Volkanovski and Dustin Poirier being examples. O'Malley thinks there's a path to joining that group through hard work inside the octagon. "For me to earn another shot at Merab, I've got to be undeniable," O'Malley told "The Ariel Helwani Show" on Monday. "I have to go on a streak. I have to win a lot of fights in a row. And there's a world that happens. I know I'm capable of beating Merab. I also know he's capable of beating me. But there's going to be part of me that always wants to get that one back. He's the only guy to ever beat me. 'Chito' (Vera) beat me, but I got that one back. I proved that one played out the way it was supposed to the first time. "That one (vs. Dvalishvili) will – I don't want to say bug me because at the end of the day, I could play out my career and never get that one back, I'll be happy with everything played out. But there's a world where I'm undeniable and get that one back. But I'm happy for him. At the end of the day, it's not like I hold anything (against him). Merab's on a crazy streak right now, he's the greatest bantamweight of all time." O'Malley said he is fully accepting of the result that happened at UFC 316 and is ready to move forward in his career. At 30, O'Malley said he wants to take complete advantage of what he considers to be prime and valuable years of his career by keeping active. "One hundred percent, I will fight again this year. "(The opponent is) to be determined. We'll see how things play out. We'll see."
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mailbag: What's next for Sean O'Malley after consecutive UFC title losses?
After another dominant performance at UFC 316, what are the most interesting potential fights for bantamweight champ Merab Dvalishvili? What's next for Sean O'Malley? Plus, does Julianna Peña really believe she ought to get the winner of the Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes fight? Really?? All that and more in this week's mailbag. To ask a question of your own, hit up @benfowlkesmma or @ @MMAJunkieGeorge: I hand you 100k as a gift. But you must bet a side between the following … Merab vs. Volk, who would you pick? Advertisement If they're fighting at 145 pounds, I have to pick Alexander Volkanovski. As good as Merab Dvalishvili is, and as dialed in as he's seemed these last few fights, I just don't think his style would be nearly as effective up a weight class. Volkanovski isn't even one of the bigger guys at featherweight, but I think the size and strength would make it harder for Merab to do Merab things. He's a dominant force in his weight class. That's where he should stay until the UFC makes it financially worthwhile to leave (which, let's be honest, probably isn't going to happen). @justlikelasagna: Isn't it time to start thinking about UFC after Dana White. They haven't pushed names they've always pushed him. Except everything but UFC seems to be grabbing Dana's attention recently. What's the next step post Dana? I've never seen anyone look so disinterested running a billion-dollar company. One of the UFC's great strengths is its organization. Most fight promotions are a damn mess, but the UFC is a well-oiled machine that can churn out weekly events on auto-pilot from now until the rapture. The flip side of this is that it seems to have gotten pretty boring for UFC CEO Dana White, who had to have the current state of his heavyweight division explained to him on Saturday by the media members who have actually been paying attention. Advertisement That said, I don't think anything short of death would get him out of that job. He's too synonymous with the brand, and clearly the day-to-day demands of the job are not exactly an inhuman labor. Eventually, yes, there will probably be a UFC without White. But this content machine could already plug along without him (and largely does, in purely practical terms) so I'm not sure how much it would really change anything. @wolfe_was_here: Tito Ortiz's ¿wizardry? of the English language was recently on display again. What are a couple of your favourite excerpts from The Tao of Tito? You know what amazes me about Tito Ortiz's magical way with words? It's the consistency. For decades this man has been showing up and talking about how he fights to put food on the roof and a table over his family's head — and he's never once showed the slightest bit of self-awareness about any of it. At a certain point we must abandon the notion that Ortiz is bad at talking and is instead a genius at some other form of communication that the rest of us can't even fully conceive of. It's like those aliens in Arrival who have not only a different language, but a completely different mode of expression and comprehension of both time and space. He's operating on a totally different mode and has been for decades. How else could he have managed this: @EyeofMihawk: Can we finally do away with unearned title rematches now? O'Malley got smashed. Juliana Peña still thinks she can call dibs. Yair Rodriguez turned down Diego Lopes. None of them deserve a title shot. This has to stop. Advertisement OK, I will admit that when I saw Julianna Peña trying to call 'dibs' on the winner of Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes, I had to check and make sure I wasn't being trolled by a fake account. I get it, fighters have to be at least a little bit delusional. And over the years Peña has given us reason to think she's well past a little bit. I think that's definitely helped her at times. She's won some fights she had no business winning simply because she was the last person to realize how overmatched she was. But this time? After that showing? I struggle to understand what's going on in her head. She was never really in that fight with Harrison, and the loss brought an end to one of the least distinguished title reigns in UFC history. A close second is her first title reign, which also ended as soon as she had to defend the belt. I don't really blame her for trying to put her name in the mix, just like I don't blame Sean O'Malley for accepting that rematch or Yair Rodriguez for aiming up at gold rather than a fellow contender. The title is where the money is, so why not ask for a shot? The worst they can say is no. Or, in Peña's case, maybe hell no. @JSanchezOnSI: Hey Ben! Just discovered you and loving your work my man. I'd like to know where you think O'Malley goes from here? Fight a few lower ranked guys? Move down a weight? He's stuck in no man's land a bit like Holloway after Volk. Advertisement I don't think he could make 125 pounds without a tapeworm, so if he's going to change weight classes, I think it makes a lot more sense to go up. With his frame, he could probably hold his own at featherweight. At the very least he'd have a bunch of new potential matchups and a fresh start in a new weight class. Staying at bantamweight seems like it offers limited possibilities as long as Dvalishvili is the champ. And it looks like he might stay that way for a long time. @sentientlife4o1: What's up with Patchy Mix? Was he fraud checked or was it first fight in the UFC jitters? Now that a number of Bellator champions have done relatively poorly in the UFC, is it fair to say the entire organization has been fraud checked? No, I don't think that's fair to say. Patchy Mix looked very bad, but he also looked bad in the way that suggested it could have been mostly nerves. Lots of fighters have struggled in their UFC debuts and then gone on to have great careers. The list of people who lost their first fight in the UFC includes Merab Dvalishvili, Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua, Fabricio Werdum, Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva, just to name a few. Mix fought a very tough opponent and took about two rounds to wake up, by which point it was too late to get back in the fight. That can happen. It doesn't mean he was never any good to begin with. As for other Bellator champs, they've mostly come over to the UFC only after having entire careers elsewhere. That comes at a cost. @SLefkaditis: If Merab beats Cory, is there any other fight than Pantoja? Advertisement Sure, there are other fights. I get the sense the UFC would like to get Umar Nurmagomedov back in there with him for another shot. I'm not saying I love the idea, but I don't think it would take much to talk the UFC into it. Honestly, I think Dvalishvili would be a very, very tough fight for Alexandre Pantoja. But if the flyweight champ wanted to take the risk and move up in weight, I'd sure watch it. He does seem like a man in need of a challenge. @forty7pitches: Do you think the UFC will ever get to Connor levels again? I'm not sure it really cares to. I think the UFC learned a few things from the Conor McGregor era, one of which is that there are easier ways to make consistent, predictable profits that don't rely on catching lightning in a bottle. Stars are tricky in this sport. They tend to be a lot less compliant than the rank-and-file fighters on meager 50/50 contracts that fill out the content calendar. Do I think we could see another star emerge who's as big or bigger than McGregor? Sure. This is an individual sport and there's always someone out there with the potential to capture the attention and imagination of the audience. I just don't think that's a priority for the UFC or its parent company right now.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mailbag: What in the world is Sean O'Malley's next move after back-to-back UFC title losses?
After another dominant performance at UFC 316, what are the most interesting potential fights for bantamweight champ Merab Dvalishvili? What's next for Sean O'Malley? Plus, does Julianna Peña really believe she ought to get the winner of the Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes fight? Really?? All that and more in this week's mailbag. To ask a question of your own, hit up @benfowlkesmma or @ @MMAJunkieGeorge: I hand you 100k as a gift. But you must bet a side between the following … Merab vs. Volk, who would you pick? Advertisement If they're fighting at 145 pounds, I have to pick Alexander Volkanovski. As good as Merab Dvalishvili is, and as dialed in as he's seemed these last few fights, I just don't think his style would be nearly as effective up a weight class. Volkanovski isn't even one of the bigger guys at featherweight, but I think the size and strength would make it harder for Merab to do Merab things. He's a dominant force in his weight class. That's where he should stay until the UFC makes it financially worthwhile to leave (which, let's be honest, probably isn't going to happen). @justlikelasagna: Isn't it time to start thinking about UFC after Dana White. They haven't pushed names they've always pushed him. Except everything but UFC seems to be grabbing Dana's attention recently. What's the next step post Dana? I've never seen anyone look so disinterested running a billion-dollar company. One of the UFC's great strengths is its organization. Most fight promotions are a damn mess, but the UFC is a well-oiled machine that can churn out weekly events on auto-pilot from now until the rapture. The flip side of this is that it seems to have gotten pretty boring for UFC CEO Dana White, who had to have the current state of his heavyweight division explained to him on Saturday by the media members who have actually been paying attention. Advertisement That said, I don't think anything short of death would get him out of that job. He's too synonymous with the brand, and clearly the day-to-day demands of the job are not exactly an inhuman labor. Eventually, yes, there will probably be a UFC without White. But this content machine could already plug along without him (and largely does, in purely practical terms) so I'm not sure how much it would really change anything. @wolfe_was_here: Tito Ortiz's ¿wizardry? of the English language was recently on display again. What are a couple of your favourite excerpts from The Tao of Tito? You know what amazes me about Tito Ortiz's magical way with words? It's the consistency. For decades this man has been showing up and talking about how he fights to put food on the roof and a table over his family's head — and he's never once showed the slightest bit of self-awareness about any of it. At a certain point we must abandon the notion that Ortiz is bad at talking and is instead a genius at some other form of communication that the rest of us can't even fully conceive of. It's like those aliens in 'Arrival' who have not only a different language, but a completely different mode of expression and comprehension of both time and space. He's operating on a totally different mode and has been for decades. How else could he have managed this? @EyeofMihawk: Can we finally do away with unearned title rematches now? O'Malley got smashed. Juliana Peña still thinks she can call dibs. Yair Rodriguez turned down Diego Lopes. None of them deserve a title shot. This has to stop. Advertisement OK, I will admit that when I saw Julianna Peña trying to call 'dibs' on the winner of Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes, I had to check and make sure I wasn't being trolled by a fake account. I get it, fighters have to be at least a little bit delusional. And over the years Peña has given us reason to think she's well past a little bit. I think that's definitely helped her at times. She's won some fights she had no business winning simply because she was the last person to realize how overmatched she was. But this time? After that showing? I struggle to understand what's going on in her head. She was never really in that fight with Harrison, and the loss brought an end to one of the least distinguished title reigns in UFC history. A close second is her first title reign, which also ended as soon as she had to defend the belt. I don't really blame her for trying to put her name in the mix, just like I don't blame Sean O'Malley for accepting that rematch or Yair Rodriguez for aiming up at gold rather than a fellow contender. The title is where the money is, so why not ask for a shot? The worst they can say is no. Or, in Peña's case, maybe hell no. @JSanchezOnSI: Hey Ben! Just discovered you and loving your work my man. I'd like to know where you think O'Malley goes from here? Fight a few lower ranked guys? Move down a weight? He's stuck in no man's land a bit like Holloway after Volk. Advertisement I don't think he could make 125 pounds without a tapeworm, so if he's going to change weight classes, I think it makes a lot more sense to go up. With his frame, he could probably hold his own at featherweight. At the very least he'd have a bunch of new potential matchups and a fresh start in a new weight class. Staying at bantamweight seems like it offers limited possibilities as long as Dvalishvili is the champ. And it looks like he might stay that way for a long time. @sentientlife4o1: What's up with Patchy Mix? Was he fraud checked or was it first fight in the UFC jitters? Now that a number of Bellator champions have done relatively poorly in the UFC, is it fair to say the entire organization has been fraud checked? No, I don't think that's fair to say. Patchy Mix looked very bad, but he also looked bad in the way that suggested it could have been mostly nerves. Lots of fighters have struggled in their UFC debuts and then gone on to have great careers. The list of people who lost their first fight in the UFC includes Merab Dvalishvili, Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua, Fabricio Werdum, Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva, just to name a few. Mix fought a very tough opponent and took about two rounds to wake up, by which point it was too late to get back in the fight. That can happen. It doesn't mean he was never any good to begin with. As for other Bellator champs, they've mostly come over to the UFC only after having entire careers elsewhere. That comes at a cost. @SLefkaditis: If Merab beats Cory, is there any other fight than Pantoja? Advertisement Sure, there are other fights. I get the sense the UFC would like to get Umar Nurmagomedov back in there with him for another shot. I'm not saying I love the idea, but I don't think it would take much to talk the UFC into it. Honestly, I think Dvalishvili would be a very, very tough fight for Alexandre Pantoja. But if the flyweight champ wanted to take the risk and move up in weight, I'd sure watch it. He does seem like a man in need of a challenge. @forty7pitches: Do you think the UFC will ever get to Connor levels again? I'm not sure it really cares to. I think the UFC learned a few things from the Conor McGregor era, one of which is that there are easier ways to make consistent, predictable profits that don't rely on catching lightning in a bottle. Stars are tricky in this sport. They tend to be a lot less compliant than the rank-and-file fighters on meager 50/50 contracts that fill out the content calendar. Do I think we could see another star emerge who's as big or bigger than McGregor? Sure. This is an individual sport and there's always someone out there with the potential to capture the attention and imagination of the audience. I just don't think that's a priority for the UFC or its parent company right now.
USA Today
10-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Merab Dvalishvili's coach on Cory Sandhagen: 'Stylistically, it works out great for us'
Merab Dvalishvili's coach on Cory Sandhagen: 'Stylistically, it works out great for us' John Wood is confident that UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili will have no issues against Cory Sandhagen. Dvalishvili (20-4 MMA, 13-2 UFC) defeated Sean O'Malley (18-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) again, this time by submission in Saturday's UFC 316 main event at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Expected to be next in line for Dvalishvili is Sandhagen (18-5 MMA, 11-4 UFC), who was in attendance for the fight. Wood knows that Sandhagen is a crafty striker, but says it's a style Dvalishvili is accustomed to. "Cory is a great fighter, and I enjoy watching him," Wood told Submission Radio. "I think he's a very entertaining fighter, and I think he's got a lot of tools, and a lot of things that are going to be tough to deal with. But I do not believe it's going to be anything different than Merab has seen before. I think it's stuff we are going to have just a fine time with, and it'll be a fun fight. But I can tell you this: Merab's going to come out ahead on that one. "I feel like we've kind of fought that style before. He is a tough guy. He's tricky. But like I said, I know Merab, and I know what he can do, and I know what we're going to do. It's always fun as a coach to game plan against a guy like that. He's got a great team, great coaches, all that stuff, and it's interesting. I think stylistically, it works out great for us." Dvalishvili is hoping for two more title defenses before the end of the year. His head coach shared his ideal timeline for "The Machine's" next fight. "I wouldn't mind getting a Vegas card, maybe October," Wood said. "September might be pushing it. Late October would be real good, just to give Merab a chance if he really does want to sneak in two more, the earlier the better. But I'd like to have a card in Vegas where he can stay home and not have to travel."
USA Today
09-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Cory Sandhagen on Merab Dvalishvili's UFC 316 win: 'You've got to knock that guy out'
Cory Sandhagen on Merab Dvalishvili's UFC 316 win: 'You've got to knock that guy out' Cory Sandhagen acknowledges that there's only one way he can dethrone UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili. Dvalishvili (20-4 MMA, 13-2 UFC) beat Sean O'Malley (18-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) in even more definitive fashion when he submitted him in their title-fight rematch, which headlined Saturday's UFC 316 event at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Sandhagen (18-5 MMA, 11-4 UFC) reacted to Dvalishvili's win. "It was great – Merab did an awesome job," Sandhagen told ESPN on the UFC 316 headliner. "I kind of anticipated that Merab was even going to look better in this fight just when I was thinking about it a little more, and he did awesome. He got the finish, and I'm sure that that's what he was looking for, and I'm happy for him. Me and Merab have a really good rapport together, so I'm happy for him." Sandhagen, who's coming off a finish of Deiveson Figueiredo last month, was in attendance, and is expected to be next in line for Dvalishvili. "I was kind of surprised that O'Malley decided to move as much as he was," Sandhagen said. "That's a very tough thing to do against a guy that's going to press like that. When Merab decides to get aggressive, he gets aggressive, and I'm looking forward to tha. Merab is the best guy in the division. He's maybe one of the best guys in the UFC, and I want to take that guy out." With Dvalishvili on a 13-fight winning streak, Sandhagen says "The Machine" has to be stopped. "Yeah, you've got to knock that guy out," Sandhagen said. "That's it. You've just got to knock that guy out."
