Sandhagen named the favorite for the O'Malley vs Dvalishvili fight

Top UFC lightweight fighter Corey Sandhagen said he believes division champion Sean O'Malley is the favorite for his upcoming bout against Merab Dvalishvili.

"I believe O'Malley has the best chance of winning. This fighter has a knockout punch and tremendous power. No matter how many times Merab rolls him, O'Malley always starts the fight in the stand-up. His movements are very calm and measured and he is not easy to get close to. You can't just run up and knock him down. You have to put a lot of effort in to shorten the distance and that's not easy," Sandhagen told James Lynch.

O'Malley and Dvalishvili are expected to fight on September 14 at UFC 306 in Las Vegas, USA.