What’s Next for the ‘Suga Show’?
Sean O’Malley (left) knees Marlon “Chito” Vera (right) and stuns him in the second round of their championship bout. (via YouTube)
After dominating Marlon “Chito” Vera over the course of five rounds, UFC Bantamweight Champion, “Suga” Sean O’Malley is now looking to find the next opponent he will defend his title against.
His performance against Vera was most impressive, as he pitched a shutout against one of the most durable and dangerous bantamweights in the division. His striking, cardio, and distance management looked better than ever, and made Vera look like an amateur on the feet. Although this was a statement performance for O’Malley, many are perplexed with the call out he made after the fight.
O’Malley called out newly minted UFC Featherweight Champion, Ilia Topuria to a featherweight title bout for what he believes is a super fight. Even though Topuria has yet to defend his featherweight title, this would be an ideal matchup for O’Malley, as Topuria has a tendency to stay on the feet with all of his opponents, even former featherweight kingpen, Alexander Volkanovski. This could be a prime matchup, if Topuria is able to defend his title in his next fight, but many believe taht O’Malley is dodging the biggest threat to his title reign, Merab Dvalishvili.
Dvalishvili is known for his relentless grappling pressure, which has been evident in his previous three fights. He has shot an ungodly amount of takedowns in his previous three bouts against Jose Aldo, Petr Yan and Henry Cejudo. All three of these men are former champions, and made them look like they were overwhelmed by the pressure mounted by Dvalishvili. This is a nightmare matchup for O’Malley, who is a striker to the fullest extent. If he does go against Dvalishvili, he will have to test his grappling defense in ways that he has never tested before. It makes sense why O’Malley chose not to call out, or even acknowledge Dvalishvili’s existence in his post fight interview.
One contender that many are overlooking, is perennial bantamweight contender, Cory Sandhagen. Sandhagen has been on a tear as of late, defeating Song Yadong, Marlon Vera, and Rob Font in his last three fights. He is also one of the most well rounded bantamweights in the division, showcasing both high level striking and grappling against his previous opponents.
In a vacuum, Sandhagan and Dvalishvili’s previous wins are comparable, and although many are pointing to Dvalishvili as more deserving of the next bantamweight title shot. Whether or not O’Malley will get his first featherweight title shot remains to be seen, but if it does not come together, there are two hungry contenders waiting for him to get a shot at bantamweight gold.
Since his next fight has yet to be booked, many fans are waiting in anticipation for who he will fight next and how soon he will get back into the octagon.
