The Sean O’Malley vs. Marlon Vera rematch does not fit Cory Sandhagen’s timeline.
UFC CEO Dana White announced Monday that O’Malley (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) will defend his bantmweight title against Vera (23-8-1 MMA, 15-7 UFC) in March. Sandhagen (17-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC), who holds a recent win over Vera this past March, was hoping that O’Malley and Vera would run things back sooner.
“Why March? Fight earlier so that I can fight earlier,” Sandhagen told Luke Thomas. “I don’t think it’s the most favorable matchup for O’Malley, but I still think that O’Malley will likely win. March? I was hoping that they’d fight in January and then I would be able to come back in like April or May or something.”
In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Sandhagen said he plans on fighting for the title upon his return from tricep surgery. But with Sandhagen targeting a comeback in the first half of 2024, he could end up fighting again before getting his desired title shot.
“I’ll see what they say, I guess,” Sandhagen said. “Yeah, I don’t know. That’s a bummer. March? Damn.”
Sandhagen is currently on a three-fight winning streak with wins over Song Yadong, Vera, and a dominant unanimous decision against Rob Font in the UFC on ESPN 50 main event in August. Sandhagen tore his right tricep in the first round of his fight against Font.
Cory Sandhagen bummed out Sean O’Malley vs. Marlon Vera isn’t happening sooner: ‘March? Damn.’
