Sean O’Malley is in a tough spot following his second-straight title defeat to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 316.
The former UFC Bantamweight Champion received a title shot coming off a decision loss to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306 last September. Sean O’Malley returned to action at UFC 316 seven months after a successful surgery on his torn labrum.
In better shape than he was at the Sphere, O’Malley was still unable to KO Dvalishvili as the champion mauled him on the ground with takedowns.
Time will tell what the future holds for O’Malley after the title fight loss. ‘Suga’ could stay in the bantamweight division or even move up to the featherweight division as UFC legend Chael Sonnen has suggested.
Should O’Malley stay at 135lbs, there are a few matchups that make sense for the #1 contender.
Keep in mind, Cory Sandhagen will likely fight Dvalishvili next and O’Malley’s former rival Petr Yan is reported to fight his teammate Marcus McGhee.
- READ MORE: Sean O’Malley gets called out by a surprise former opponent after one-sided UFC 316 title loss
3. Mario Bautista
The #10-ranked Mario Bautista might not be the most respected or most well-known contender at bantamweight, but there’s no denying Bautista has some serious skills.
Bautista is currently riding the third-longest streak in UFC bantamweight history with 8 wins in a row. The 16-2 fighter has wins over former world champions Jose Aldo and Patchy Mix.
Bautista, who was initially scheduled to fight Chito Vera before he withdrew, outboxed Mix at UFC 316, spoiling the highly-anticipated debut of the final Bellator champion on short notice.
A potential fight between The MMA Lab teammates O’Malley and Bautista would be a striker’s delight.
2. Henry Cejudo
If the UFC were to match O’Malley with another wrestler, who better than to face him than Henry Cejudo?
The Olympic Gold Medalist in freestyle wrestling and former two-division champion has been itching to fight O’Malley for years but their paths never crossed.
Riding a three-fight losing streak, Cejudo wasted no time in calling out O’Malley following his loss to Dvalishvili.
Cejudo, 38, is looking to retire in his next fight.
For Cejudo, it would be a dream fight to end his career on. As for O’Malley, Cejudo would be a legend on his resume.
1. Song Yadong
One of the most fun fights you can make in the bantamweight division is Sean O’Malley vs. Song Yadong.
China’s Song Yadong is coming off a controversial technical decision win over Cejudo in February.
The #5 UFC Bantamweight is known for his high-level striking and takedown defense and holds an impressive record of 11-3-1 in the UFC.
Winner of three of his last four fights, the 27-year-old Song Yadong isn’t far off from a title fight and Sean O’Malley might be just the test he needs before title contention.
Song Yadong has wins over Cejudo, Marlon Moraes, Chito Vera and more.