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The next step for the Bantamweight division is clear: Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili has to happen.
“Suga” captured the throne by knocking out Aljamain Sterling, Dvalishvili’s longtime friend and team mate. Even prior to that win, however, “The Machine” had been chasing a match up versus the kickboxer for several years. Now that O’Malley settled his grudge versus Marlon Vera (watch here), and Dvalishvili extended his massive win streak even further by beating up Henry Cejudo, everything is lined up for the two to finally meet inside the Octagon.
Currently, there is not yet a targeted date for the Bantamweight title fight. Whenever it is booked, however, Cory Sandhagen can be counted on as an interested viewer. “The Sandman” is on a quality win streak of his own and is a favorite to face the winner of that bout, though he may have to fight at least once more to really lock down the shot.
Who does Sandhagen expect to win? Though he acknowledges Dvalishvili’s grappling edge, Sandhagen also thinks O’Malley’s stand up advantage is so significant that a knockout is very possible.
“I think O’Malley has a really good shot at clipping Merab and finishing him,” Sandhagen told Fanatics View (via Yahoo Sports). “That’s never really a good place to put all your eggs in a basket. That’s not a super reliable way to win. But, it’s reliable for O’Malley usually. So, I think if you have to start standing against O’Malley for five rounds and he’s that much better of a striker than Merab.
“Merab is a far superior wrestler and grappler than O’Malley is, but O’Malley is a far superior striker, so that makes it really interesting. Also just the style Merab has in grappling, he doesn’t really hold people down. He kind of lets them work back up and so if I was Merab, I would try and stick him to the mat and keep him there. If I was O’Malley, I would use that first minute of each round to really do what he did to Sterling and pinpoint, and missile this guy from a far. So, I can see O’Malley winning.”
Insomnia
Patricio Pitbull vs. Aaron Pico would be an absolutely must-watch match up.
Patricio Pitbull on instagram says his next fight will be against Aaron Pico
( : @PatricioPitbull) pic.twitter.com/yFi4pEluL4
— COMBAT SPORTS TODAY (@CSTodayNews) March 26, 2024
Khabib has been retired for a long time now, but the legend lives on strong.
‘Nobody is More Dangerous than Khabib’ -Coach Javier
Not Jon Jones, Not Fedor, Not Ngannou, Not Islam.
Khabib is the most dangerous fighter in the world.[ YT: MMA mania | @mmamania ] pic.twitter.com/ab2BOdaS7Q
— ISLAM PFP #1 (@pfpvisual) March 27, 2024
I get that we don’t want to encourage bad behavior, but … give the guy some pit-side seats!
What a mad lad climbing up there to get a better view of #KCK2 pic.twitter.com/TiwPVgOnvX
— Karate Combat (@KarateCombat) March 27, 2024
We have a Giblert Melendez situation over at UFC Atlantic City.
Nobody at the UFC can be bothered anymore https://t.co/cie9au4OQ1 pic.twitter.com/WS9C2Y2sDU
— Jack Slack (@JackSlackMMA) March 27, 2024
Merab recruited a very convincing O’Malley look-a-like for his latest bit.
Sean O’Malley gives Merab Dvalishvili the cold shoulder AGAIN at the UFC PI. #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/G46KB33k5d
— Parry Punch (@ParryPunchNews) March 27, 2024
Zhalgas Zhumagulov’s streak as the unluckiest man in MMA continues.
Different cage, same story ??? pic.twitter.com/0D7461lFTq
— Zhalgas Zhumagulov (@ZhakoZhumagulov) March 27, 2024
Andre Lima requests mercy for Igor Severino, the man who bit him. Could be a good comeback story someday?
Andre Lima says he feels bad that Igor Severino was cut from the UFC for biting him:
“I feel so sorry to be honest. I’m sad for him.
He came from the same [journey as me]. He struggled a lot, he has a family, he has a bright future.”
@TMZ_Sports #MMA #UFC pic.twitter.com/MIKVDM2C7J
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) March 27, 2024
Slips, rips, and KO clips
Both men were throwing right hands with bad intentions, and Soares landed first.
19-year-old Mateus “I’m Ready” Soares dispatches Alexandre Junior by third round KO. The Pedro Rizzo student improves to 7-1 and extends his win streak to 4 straight. #LFA179 pic.twitter.com/H2A1MWElVh
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) March 23, 2024
Flowing into power shots!
What an amazing knockout in Rei da Silva Combat 16. Isac “King” Silva destroys Ariclenes Oliveira. pic.twitter.com/1mQETDoKv5
— Haduucken (@Haduuuucken) March 24, 2024
I get that Saenchai isn’t fighting the cream of the crop anymore, but his streak of just destroying all these regular kickboxers at 43 years of age is still wild.
Saenchai wins via round 1 KO! pic.twitter.com/wObp7XylJu
— Matysek (@Matysek88) March 24, 2024
Random Land
Medieval paintings (click through for full thread):
3. Knight at the Crossroads by Viktor Vasnetsov (1882)
For something completely different there is Vasnetsov’s famous, mysterious, sombre painting of a knight contemplating a gravestone.
More realistic? Or is this, instead, a sort of dark rather than romantic Medieval fantasy? pic.twitter.com/wPwb6hzZLI
— The Cultural Tutor (@culturaltutor) March 26, 2024
8. The Lady of Shalott by John William Waterhouse (1888)
Another literary painting by Waterhouse, and among the most famous works of 19th century Neo-Medieval art.
The Lady of Shalott is a poem by Tennyson, written in 1832 and based on a 13th century Italian tale. pic.twitter.com/7DalCrT0me
— The Cultural Tutor (@culturaltutor) March 26, 2024
Midnight Music: Indie rock, 2004
Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.