Daniel Cormier: 'It doesn't get easier for Sean O'Malley' after UFC 316 title loss
Daniel Cormier thinks Sean O'Malley now faces a tough road back to the UFC title.
O'Malley (18-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) lost to bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili (20-4 MMA, 13-2 UFC) for the second-straight time when he was submitted in Saturday's UFC 316 headliner at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. O'Malley lost in more definitive fashion after dropping their first fight at UFC 306 by unanimous decision.
Cormier says O'Malley finds himself in a quandary, as he'll have to face murderer's row at bantamweight if he wants to re-insert himself in the title picture.
"He just lost to the champion twice," Cormier said of O'Malley on ESPN's SportsCenter. "Until there's a changeover, it'll be hard for Sean O'Malley to work his way back into a title opportunity, and he might find himself standing across from Umar Nurmagomedov.
"It doesn't get easier for 'The Suga Show.' But Merab Dvalishvili really showed he is the cream of the crop at 135 pounds, and he did it better than before. He was more dominant than before, and he finished him. If Merab starts to finish guys, he is a real problem in the UFC."
O'Malley knocked out Aljamain Sterling to claim the bantamweight title at UFC 292. He successfully defended his belt against Marlon Vera at UFC 299, before losing it to Dvalishvili at UFC 306.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Next fights for Tom Aspinall, Alex Pereira, Merab Dvalishvili announced in wave of UFC news
Several of the UFC's biggest names have their next marching orders. UFC CEO Dana White on Tuesday announced a quartet of big-time bouts for the second half of the year, including a trio of matchups for UFC 320 on Oct. 4 in Las Vegas: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Alex Pereira 2 for the UFC light heavyweight title, Merab Dvalishvili vs. Cory Sandhagen for the UFC bantamweight title, and Jiri Prochazka vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. in a battle of light heavyweight top contenders. White also announced the first official defense of Tom Aspinall's undisputed UFC heavyweight championship, as the ferocious Brit collides against Ciryl Gane on Oct. 25 in Abu Dhabi at UFC 321. Pereira gets his Ankalaev rematch Between his star power and the somewhat controversial decision that ripped the light heavyweight belt out of his hands, there was little doubt Pereira would get a rematch. He's now set to step into the Octagon seven months after his first meeting with Ankalaev. While some had "Poaton" winning on their score cards, there's no denying Pereira looked listless (by his standards) at UFC 313. He has since revealed he nearly pulled out of the fight with injuries, which UFC commentator Joe Rogan claimed were a broken hand and norovirus. There was also the fact that it was his fourth title defense in the span of a year. Seven months will represent the longest layoff between fights in Pereira's UFC career, though Ankalaev's chances aren't to be discounted. The Russian has a game that could prove to Pereira's kryptonite, especially considering he won the belt despite going 0-for-12 in takedown attempts, which many thought was his only path to victory. That Prochazka vs. Rountree fight also sure looks like it will decide who gets the next crack at Ankalaev should he survive another go-round with Pereira. The future will be a little less clear if Pereira wins, as he's already beaten both of them convincingly (twice, in the case of Prochazka). Dvalishvili's quest to clear out 135 continues If Sandhagen can't surprise Dvalishvili, the UFC might be fresh out of ideas on how to unseat the relentless Georgian. In the span of six fights, Dvalishvili has beaten Jose Aldo, Petr Yan, Henry Cejudo, Sean O'Malley, Umar Nurmagomedov and the non-hair dye version of O'Malley. That's an absurd list, and it's not like these fights have been close despite all but the last one going to decision. Nearly every bout has seen Dvalishvili torturing a beleaguered opponent in the final rounds. Dvalishvili is also jumping back in only four months after the second O'Malley fight, so he's showing he has as little trouble with fatigue between fights as he does during them. Sandhagen, fourth on the UFC's official bantamweight rankings, earned the title shot with a dominant showing over Deiveson Figueiredo. He has promised to be aggressive against Dvalishvili, unlike certain other fighters. Of course, that's easier said than done. Aspinall's reign begins with a rare contender he hasn't already beaten Tom Aspinall's reign as heavyweight champion began about as anticlimactically as possible, thanks entirely to Jon Jones' approach to decision-making, and now he gets his first defense against one of the few guys at the top of the heavyweight rankings Aspinall hasn't already steamrolled. Gane is undefeated in his career except for his title shots against Jones and Francis Ngannou. He gets his chance third against a fighter who has looked even better as a UFC heavyweight than those guys. An Oct. 25 fight date means Aspinall will have gone around 15 months between fights, and that might be the only reason to bet against him. He has long been earmarked as a potential superstar for the UFC, and now he gets to finally act on that potential in Abu Dhabi.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Report: Chris Godwin underwent another minor ankle procedure this spring
The Buccaneers placed receiver Chris Godwin on the active/physically unable to perform list Tuesday. Godwin may or may not be ready for the season opener. He still is rehabbing the left ankle he dislocated in Week 7. Jenna Laine of ESPN reports that Godwin underwent another minor ankle procedure this spring to have it "cleaned out." The surgery was not a surprise, Laine adds, and Godwin is doing well. The question remains, though, about whether the team's medical staff will clear Godwin before Week 1. Coach Todd Bowles told Joe Bucs Fan on Monday that the team has no timeline. 'He's working his way back," Bowles said. "He had a procedure. He's feeling well. He's in good spirits, and he's working his way back. And, you know, when I see more and he does more, I'll have more news. But right now there's no update on him. But Chris, hopefully, will be back very soon. And I can't tell you when, but he's in good spirits and he's moving around, and he's getting going, and he's ramping up.' The Bucs re-signed Godwin to a three-year, $66 million deal that includes $44 million guaranteed after he caught 50 passes for 576 yards and five touchdowns in seven games before his injury.
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
TJ Brown expects Bryce Mitchell to have career resurgence at bantamweight
ABU DHABI – TJ Brown thinks Bryce Mitchell will finally be competing at his natural weight class at UFC on ABC 9. Mitchell (17-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) takes on Said Nurmagomedov (18-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) in a bantamweight bout on Saturday's main card (ABC, ESPN, ESPN+) at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Mitchell says his submission loss to Jean Silva at UFC 314 was a wakeup call, and Brown agrees. "I think personally he's always been a '35'er," Brown told MMA Junkie. "His last couple of fights, I think these guys, he got in there and realized they were way bigger than he's used to fighting. So, I think '35 is going to be a great move, and it's almost like his resurgence. I think it's going to be a great comeback fight, and we're looking forward to it." Most of Nurmagomedov's finishes have come by submission, but Brown expects Mitchell to have a big advantage on the ground. "Said is a great kicker," Brown said. "He does a great job at range, but stylistically, I think this is a great fight for us. Bryce puts him on his back, and we're right where we want to be. I think he's a good fighter, all respect to him, but I think there's levels to it, and Bryce is a world-class grappler."
