The 3 Best Opponents for Sean O'Malley After UFC 299

There was a time not all that long ago when many MMA fans doubted Sean O'Malley would ever be a UFC champion.

He proved those doubters wrong when he won the bantamweight belt with a knockout of Aljamain Sterling in August, and at last Saturday's UFC 299 card in Miami, he served up another plate of crow when he defended the title with a dominant decision win over his former foil Marlon "Chito" Vera.

As a defending champion who also happens to be one of the UFC's biggest stars, O'Malley has some pretty exciting options at his fingertips. There is a growing list of dangerous contenders in his division, all of whom aim to prove that he's just a flash in the pan, and the champion himself is already calling for the opportunity to test himself in other weight classes.

Time will tell what the UFC decides is the best move for the bantamweight champion, but here are the three fights we think make the most sense for him, starting with the best option and concluding with the worst.

Merab Dvalishvili

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Merab Dvalishvili prepares to slam former two-division UFC champion and Olympic wrestler Henry Cejudo

In a world where win streaks and the UFC's official rankings actually matter, Georgia's Merab Dvalishvili would have gotten a crack at O'Malley and the belt before Vera. The Georgian has won 10 straight fights, including victories over former champions like Jose Aldo, Petr Yan, and Henry Cejudo, and is ranked No. 1 in the weight class—four spots ahead of Vera.

However, Vera beat O'Malley back in 2020 and is one of the more popular contenders in the division, so the promotion opted to give him the first crack at the champion, despite the fact that he is 1-1 in his past two fights.

Now that O'Malley has avenged his loss to Vera, it's clearly time to give Dvalishvili the opportunity he deserves. It might not generate the same buzz as the champ's rematch with Vera, but it is clearly the fight to make.

Furthermore, it is one the champion could very well lose. While he has never looked better than he did against Vera, that was an extremely favorable stylistic matchup for him, while a fight with Dvalishvili is the exact opposite.

The Georgian is one of the most effective and relentless grapplers in MMA right now, which will potentially allow him to ground and control O'Malley, thereby disarming the champ of his best weapon: his striking.

Cory Sandhagen

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Cory Sandhagen punches Rob Font

Cory Sandhagen also deserved the opportunity to fight for the bantamweight belt before Vera, especially considering he beat the Ecuadorian with a clear-cut decision last year. Unfortunately, he also fell by the wayside when the UFC decided to book an O'Malley-Vera rematch.

Sandhagen should not get the opportunity before Dvalishvili, having won three straight fights compared to the Georgian's 10. However, he is clearly the next man in line, and could well get the opportunity if Dvalishvili turns out to be unavailable when the UFC needs him. It seems unlikely, and we hope it doesn't happen, but injuries have a way of ruining plans in MMA, and if such a thing were to occur, Sandhagen could get the call.

If that happens, fans can look forward to a very exciting fight, as Sandhagen is one of the few fighters in the weight class with striking skill, range and finishing instincts to rival O'Malley's. He is also a solid grappler, so he could catch the champion by surprise with some takedowns and submission attempts, too.

Then again, Sandhagen seems to be committed to a UFC 303 fight with rising Russian Umar Nurmagomedov. If he loses that fight, his title aspirations will hit a snag. On the other hand, beating Sandhagen would make Nurmagomedov one of the top contenders in the weight class—and probably the next fighter in line for a title shot after Dvalishvili.

Ilia Topuria

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Ilia Topuria lands a right hand on Alexander Volkanovski

If Sean O'Malley gets his way, his next fight after UFC 299 will be against Ilia Topuria.

Topuria, who is undefeated in 15 straight fights, won the featherweight title with a knockout of MMA legend Alexander Volkanovski last month, and in the time since, has become one of the most talked about fighters in the sport.

Speaking in his UFC 299 post-fight interview, O'Malley called for the opportunity to challenge the featherweight champion for a second belt when the UFC heads to Spain—Topuria's adopted home—later this year.

"Dana, get me a jet to Spain, baby, I'm coming for Ilia Topuria," he said. "He's a scary f--king dude. Ilia excites me, going up a weight class excites me."

This is the kind of opportunity that has been afforded to popular champions in the past, such as Conor McGregor, Israel Adesanya and Henry Cejudo. It's not outside the realm of possibility that O'Malley will be granted the opportunity too, and if that's what the UFC decides to do, it will be a massive fight for everybody involved, particularly if it happens in Spain.

However, O'Malley is still just one title defense into his reign, with several deserving contenders waiting for title shots, while Topuria has yet to defend his belt against any of the featherweight division's top dogs. In other words, this is a fight that is probably better saved for next year or even later this year when both champions have had a chance to handle business against the top contenders in their divisions.