Sean O’Malley’s ego is more bruised than his body. Consecutive losses to Merab Dvalishvili left a bad taste in O’Malley’s mouth, so much so that he petitioned to fight Cory Sandhagen less than two months later.
O’Malley entered UFC 316 confident he could retrieve the UFC bantamweight title from Dvalishvil after a competitive loss the first time. But O’Malley, with ample time to train and heal his injuries, was beaten more decisively in their rematch. Instead of taking his time, O’Malley campaigned to fight Sandhagen seven weeks later at UFC 318. The former champion admits his eagerness was driven by ego.
“It’s the ego,” O’Malley told CBS Sports while promoting UFC’s “Contender Series” show. “You want to get back in there and get a win.”
The fight didn’t make sense for the other parties involved. Last month, UFC CEO Dana White announced that Dvalishvili and Sandhagen would fight in the co-main event of UFC 320. Though O’Malley deemed himself fit to fight Sandhagen in June, there’s a silver lining in taking a longer break.
“I was dealing with a toe injury, but you’re always dealing with something,” O’Malley said. “It’s nice this toe could heal up and feel better, but whatever happens, happens for a reason. That’s how my mindset was. I put my name out there… I definitely wasn’t upset that it didn’t happen.”
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O’Malley hopes to book another fight later this year. For now, he’s very curious to watch Dvalishvili vs. Sandhagen.
“On tape, Merab looks sloppy,” O’Malley said. “It looks like you can catch him. I almost did a few times. I missed a big knee, a big left hand. When you miss those shots, he’s on you. He has weird timing and is freakishly strong. He’s good at holding you down. If you get up, he’s good at mat returning. I’m curious if Cory can create scrambles and how that plays out.”
O’Malley introduced himself to UFC fans with a lightning knockout on the first season of “Contender Series.” His success and public profile continued to grow, culminating in O’Malley winning the UFC bantamweight championship in 2023. O’Malley returns to “Contender Series” on Sept. 2 not as a fighter, but as a cornerman for his teammate, Tommy McMillin.
“It’s a full circle moment,” O’Malley said. “Tommy is from Montana, too. When [my coach] Tim [Welch] moved here, I’d drive down and sleep on his couch. When I got a house, Tommy would visit and sleep on my couch. He moved here when he was 18, and now he’s on Contender Series.
