The bantamweight title picture may be stuck in neutral, but Sean O’Malley’s momentum isn’t. Fresh off a dominant win at UFC 324, the former champion is talking openly about wanting a Petr Yan rematch on the UFC White House card in June. But suddenly, the road is appearing foggy.

As per recent reports, the current bantamweight champion just had lumbar surgery and won’t be ready until around July. Merab Dvalishvili, for his part, is pushing for a trilogy, and O’Malley has already hinted he might sit out if Yan–Merab 3 goes first. So if the title lane is jammed, what’s left for ‘Suga’ to chase in the meantime?

Well, with the White House card looming and O’Malley’s schedule now up in the air, Cory Sandhagen decided to jump the queue and throw his name in the hat.

In a video shared on social media, Sandhagen said, “Me and Sean O’Malley should absolutely fight at the White House. There’s literally no reason not to. I keep going in my head, I’m like, why does this dude not really wanna fight me? Like, is he scared of me?”

The No. 4-ranked contender then quickly walked that back, adding he doesn’t think fear is the reason, then spiraled into classic Sandhagen humor about looking too much like the former champion’s longtime coach and friend, Tim Welch, or even joking that maybe O’Malley is “a little se— attracted to me.”

‘The Sandman’ then added, “I think that that might be a piece of it, or like, could be those last two together. I’m not really sure, but Sean and I need to fight on the White House lawn, and it’s really like ticking me off. I’m getting really ticked off.”

It’s funny on the surface, but the timing is sharp. As we mentioned earlier, Petr Yan will be out till July at least, and he’s already confirmed in a previous interview, “As soon as Merab is ready and fully recovered, it’s going to happen. Either this spring or summer,” about his next opponent.

That leaves Sean O’Malley staring at a potential layoff that could stretch most of 2026 if he sticks to his stance. Is that smart? Inactivity is a tax in this division. The bantamweight top five doesn’t wait, and sitting out means letting the division move without you.

That’s why Sandhagen’s pitch is simple: don’t wait. Take the biggest stage the UFC is building and use it. And on paper, O’Malley vs. Sandhagen at the White House is chaos in the best way. In fact, ‘Suga’ has already revealed what it would take for him to step inside the Octagon against ‘The Sandman’!

Sean O’Malley demands the “same amount” of money as a title fight for Cory Sandhagen

After getting back in the win column at UFC 324, Sean O’Malley made it clear he isn’t in a rush to take just any fight. After two straight losses to Merab Dvalishvili, beating Song Yadong stopped the slide, but it didn’t suddenly change his priorities.

So what would it actually take for ‘Suga’ to accept a high-risk, high-reward matchup like Cory Sandhagen at the White House? The answer, according to O’Malley himself, is pretty blunt: business comes first. Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, he confessed, “I would ask, ‘Can I wait for Petr and Merab, and let that fight play out,” making it clear the title path still sits at the top of his list.

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But he didn’t shut the Sandhagen door either. The condition? “I wanna fight for the belt. Or, pay me the same amount as I would for a title fight and I’ll fight Cory.”

The former champion admitted he’s always treated fighting like a business first. From day one, the goal has been to maximize his earnings. And right now, the way his contract is structured, title fights are where the real money is for him. So the ball is back in Dana White’s court.

Does the promotion wait for the title picture to thaw, or do they turn the White House lawn into a proving ground for two of the division’s most electric strikers? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!