After Sean O’Malley’s title fight against Merab Dvalishvili, where his takedown defense was repeatedly exposed, Daniel Cormier believes a wave of wrestlers will be lining up to take on the UFC’s biggest star.
Merab had no trouble taking O’Malley down at will, and now, other grapplers in the division will see an easy path to victory. Plus, with O’Malley’s massive popularity, it’s a win-win for anyone looking to climb the ranks by taking on one of the UFC’s biggest names.
Cormier was joined by Sonnen on their weekly installation of the ‘Good Guy/Bad Guy’. During their show they spoke about the weakness in O’Malley’s game and how easily it was exposed by the Georgian.
Cormier then went on to add that this is not a good look for O’Malley.
“You know what the problem with him is? Now he finds himself where everybody wanting to fight him. Because they thought they could use his name to propel himself, now they want to fight him after seeing that he struggles with takedown defense like that. Those wrestling dudes will be lined up hoping to build on what they believe is the aura of ‘Suga’ Sean O’Malley.”
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O’Malley did an extremely good job against Sterling who is also considered a very good wrestler. Therefore, most fans believed that he would be able to stuff takedowns from Merab.
However, ‘The Machine’ took O’Malley down six times and more importantly kept him there over the course of the fight, exposing his vulnerability for the world to pick on.
And as far as O’Malley is concerned, he wants to take a year long break from the sport after last night’s disappointing loss. And when he returns, who knows, maybe he wants to settle the score with Henry Cejudo next as he makes his next climb to the top spot.
Suga vs. Triple C on the horizon?
With just one title defense under his belt, Sean O’Malley will need to string together a few wins before earning another shot at the belt.
Undefeated phenom Umar Nurmagomedov seems next in line for a title fight, though Merab Dvalishvili has expressed interest in facing former flyweight champ Deiveson Figueiredo first.
With that fight likely not happening until next year, Figueiredo may need another win to secure his shot. Now, a matchup between O’Malley and Figueiredo could make sense, especially given their history.
The winner could be in line for a title shot against either Merab or Nurmagomedov. Another potential fight for O’Malley? Henry Cejudo.
‘Suga’ has been vocal about his dislike for ‘Triple C,’ and with Cejudo eyeing a comeback, it could be a solid matchup. Cejudo even chimed in on social media, mocking O’Malley’s takedown defense: “See you in the morning for ‘Wrestling for Cokeheads,’ O’Methyl!”
Then there’s the curious case of one Cory Sandhagen. He might have lost his spot when he lost to Umar Nurmagomedov, but he’s still alive and kicking, and knocking on opportunity’s doors.
