UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley says a date for his next title fight against Merab Dvalishvili will be announced in the coming weeks.
Whilst the popular bantamweight champion is hopeful that his next title fight will take place in The Sphere for Mexican Independence Day, Sean O’Malley has his own forecast for how the division will play out over the course of 2024.
Sean O’Malley is confident a date vs Merab will be announced soon
Speaking via the MMAFightingonSBN YouTube channel, UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley shared how the date and location for his expected title defense against Merab Dvalishvili will be announced in the next few weeks.
“It’s going to happen; it’s going to happen this year – I don’t have a date for you guys unfortunately… [But] the UFC told me that at the end of the month they’ll have a date for me.
“I’m guessing [and] I’m hoping that it will be at The Sphere still, I’ve been pushing for that for a while but if not The Sphere, then December in Vegas.”
UFC 306 is scheduled for The Sphere in Las Vegas on September 14, with the December PPV typically hosted at the T-Mobile Arena – although the UFC has not yet confirmed a date for that final PPV broadcast.
“Either one, I do think that it will be in Las Vegas [on] one of those two dates,” said O’Malley, before reiterating that his ideal 2024 centers around fighting in September: rather than at the back end of the year.
“I’d rather fight in September than December but also whatever the UFC says, I’m ready to go.”
Sean O’Malley has doubts on whether No. 1 contender fight will happen
Yet even before we get to The Sphere in September, there’s an enormous bantamweight fight happening in Abu Dhabi in early August: with Cory Sandhagen taking on Umar Nurmagomedov.
That bout is set for the main event of UFC on ABC, with Dana White having previously confirmed that this will be a number one contender’s fight for O’Malley’s bantamweight title.
Unsurprisingly, O’Malley will be watching closely to see who his next potential opponent could be, although he has doubts whether that bout will go ahead at all.
“I’ll tune in if it happens… We know Umar likes to pull out when something happens, so I’ll be surprised if that fight happens.”
The bantamweight king noted that he’s “surprised that Cory is such a massive underdog,” with the champion acknowledging that “he’s one of the most skilled guys in the division.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Cory beat him at all… Yeah [I’m leaning Sandhagen] … I don’t think [Nurmagomdeov is overrated] – I think Umar is as good as everyone thinks he is, I just think Cory is better.”
Merab Dvalishvili next, then Ilia Topuria?
Back to the bantamweight champion and ‘Suga’ teased that whilst he’s not yet in full training camp, he’s been preparing for a matchup against Dvalishvili ever since he defeated Marlon Vera back in March.
“I’m training hard right now, prepared for whatever but we’re 14 weeks out from The Sphere so I’m not in full camp – if that’s the date then I’ll get right into camp, but I won’t know until the end of June.”
Defeating the surging Georgian wrestler will certainly be no easy task for O’Malley, but at least it’s a perceived easier task than challenging Ilia Topuria for the featherweight title.
“I’m here for the people, I thought me moving up to fight Ilia would get people excited and Ilia, in my opinion, is way more dangerous than Merab.
“So, I was pumped [but] when people are like ‘No, fight Merab – we don’t want to see you fight Ilia’, I’m like ‘Hell yeah, alright bet’ – I’ll fight Merab over Ilia for sure, I’m here for the people.”
The brash American signed off with a simple message to both the UFC and his global fanbase: “If they want to see me as double champ, let’s do it; if they want to see me defend, let’s do it.”
So, as per the champion, the UFC bantamweight division will play out as follows; Sandhagen beats Nurmagomedov in August to become the No. 1 contender, and he defeats Merab Dvalishvili in September at The Sphere.
The two winners will then come together in late-2024 for a ‘fight for the people’, before O’Malley eventually moves up to challenge Ilia Topuria, likely by this point in early 2025.