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.
