Cory Sandhagen might be coming off a loss in a UFC title fight, but he still believes his name should be higher than Sean O’Malley when considering Petr Yan’s next opponent.
Yan became a two-time UFC Bantamweight Champion when he turned in a stellar performance against Merab Dvalishvili at the end of 2025. “No Mercy” won the fight via unanimous decision, and many expect a trilogy fight once Yan recovers from lumbar surgery.
If a trilogy isn’t next for whatever reason, O’Malley’s name has surfaced within the MMA community as a potential title contender. Appearing on the “ONX Sports Podcast,” Sandhagen took exception to O’Malley’s name being put in front of his for a possible rematch with Yan (h/t MMAJunkie).
“I try not to be a hater and a jealous person or whatever, but I’m like, ‘Yo, why are we not talking about me and Yan fighting again when me and Yan had a killer fight?’” Sandhagen said. “It was a Performance of the Night, it was five rounds. We had a killer fight. Sean got finished by Merab, and then after that, barely beat Song (Yadong), and I finished Song, you know what I mean? I broke his orbital and cut his eye. I put Song in surgery the next time, you know what I mean? It’s like, give me a little bit of freaking credit, goddamnit – but I can’t let that stuff enter into my head or else I’ll just be a jaded, jealous mean person all the time.”
Sandhagen and O’Malley have teased sharing the Octagon at some point, and many believe such a matchup is inevitable. The “Suga” show recently claimed he plans to wait if a trilogy between Yan and Dvalishvili takes place. A title eliminator against Sandhagen is what many fans are clamoring for in 2026.
Do you think Cory Sandhagen vs. Sean O’Malley is the matchup to book next? Sound off in the comment section below.