Cory Sandhagen didn’t hide his disappointment after learning he wouldn’t be fighting Sean O’Malley at the upcoming UFC White House event. With fans actively calling for the battle, many expected it to be one of the biggest fights of the night. Instead, O’Malley will face Aiemann Zahabi, which has ‘The Sandman’ questioning how the situation unfolded behind the scenes.

Speaking to MMA Junkie, Cory Sandhagen pointed out what he believes should have happened when the UFC approached ‘Suga’ with options.

“The proper response when the UFC calls you and says, ‘Hey, we want to do you and so-and-so,’ you go, ‘Hey, what about this person? That’s who the people want to see,” he said.

That is where the frustration lies. While Sean O’Malley claims he was never offered Sandhagen, the latter believes that wasn’t enough reason to let the fight slip. In his opinion, this was one of those situations in which a fight could steer the conversation.

‘The Sandman’ admitted that this wasn’t about money or career stakes. He made it clear that fighting Sean O’Malley would have had no significant impact on his contract. Instead, his disappointment stems from fans and even veterans of the sport losing out on a battle that had already built natural hype.

“It sucks, it just sucks for everyone,” he continued. “I’m not too bummed about it because I’m gonna fight more times, and it’s not like I’m gonna get a brand new contract or anything or some big money to fight Sean, so it doesn’t matter to me as far as that.

“But it just sucks that the fans were calling for this one, and it didn’t get to happen. That’s what sucks the most.”

Despite the setback, Cory Sandhagen is already looking ahead. He hopes to return this summer, possibly during International Fight Week, and intends to be active for the next few years. In fact, there are already some discussions happening behind the scenes.

“Yeah, there are discussions,” he added. “I’ll fight this summer. That’s all I can really say, until they give me more of like a solid, hey, this is exactly what we’re doing. But yeah, I mean, it’s got to be this summer for sure.

“Hopefully International Fight Week is kind of what I told them that I’m shooting for. So yeah, so I’m shooting on that. And then, just try to get two more a year for the next few years, and then probably that’ll be it for me. So I just want to fight twice a year for the next few years, and then I’ll be a happy guy.”

The Sean O’Malley bout may not have happened now, but the tension around it implies it is far from off the table. In fact, ‘The Sandman’ already saw the White House snub coming and was preparing for another fight before the promotion changed their minds.

Cory Sandhagen believed he was fighting Payton Talbott

Even before the Sean O’Malley situation fully played out, Cory Sandhagen had already begun shifting his focus elsewhere. In fact, he wasn’t waiting for the White House card to materialize. For a brief moment, he thought he had his next opponent lined up—but it wasn’t O’Malley.

Instead, it was rising bantamweight contender Payton Talbott, a name gaining traction following his impressive victory over Henry Cejudo.

Sandhagen said that the UFC had floated the Talbott bout to him, and he did not hesitate.

He accepted it and even began preparing for it, expecting it to be the next step on his journey back to title contention before the promotion decided to reshuffle their plans.

“They kind of floated that idea by me, and I was game for it,” he told MMA Fighting. “Then they went in a different direction.

“I said yes to that fight, but yeah, I thought that I was going to fight him for a couple days, started kind of getting ready for that a little bit, and then they decided to go in another direction and give me a different opponent, so that’s kind of where I’m at now.”

Just as fast as the idea came, it vanished—the promotion pivoted, leaving Cory Sandhagen to adjust once again. That brief window reveals a great deal about Sandhagen’s current situation in the promotion. He isn’t sitting around waiting for big names; he’s ready to face anyone who makes sense, whether it’s a past champion, a top contender, or a rising star.

With plans shifting yet again and a summer return still on the horizon, the only constant in his situation seems to be uncertainty—but also his resolve to be prepared, no matter which direction the UFC decides to go next.