‘Sugar’ Sean O’Malley is pumping the brakes on his proposed superfight with newly minted featherweight world champion Ilia Topuria.
Following Topuria’s stunning second-round knockout of Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298, O’Malley made it clear {that a} champion vs. champion conflict with ‘El Matador’ sounded way more fascinating than a match-up with the grapple-heavy Merab Dvalishvili.
“After I consider a scary opponent, like what makes me (shiver), that’s Ilia,” O’Malley advised Ariel Helwani on a latest episode of The MMA Hour. “Ilia provides me that – he might put your f*cking lights out and alter your life. That’s a scary opponent.”
Sadly for O’Malley, UFC followers didn’t agree. The reigning bantamweight champ was flooded with feedback on-line, accusing him of ducking his division’s clear-cut No. 1 contender. Consequently, O’Malley walked again his MMA Hour feedback, declaring that Dvalishvili would be the subsequent man up and his intentions of creating an instance out of ‘The Machine.’
“I needed the Ilia struggle, it excites me, however I additionally thought the followers would get enthusiastic about it,” O’Malley mentioned on his YouTube channel. “I received quite a lot of pushback, saying ‘You’re ducking Merab, Merab is subsequent.’ So, Merab’s subsequent. Let’s do Merab. I’m telling you guys, I knock Merab out. Clearly, I gotta get by means of ‘Chito,’ however I’m telling you guys, once I struggle Merab I’m knocking that dude out. He’s sloppy. I’m correct. I’m too quick. I’m too sharp. I put Merab’s lights out — worse than Aljo.”
Sean O’Malley must get previous ‘Chito’ Vera earlier than dismantling ‘The machine’
Dvalishvili’s unanimous resolution victory over former two-division titleholder Henry Cejudo at UFC 298 skyrocketed him to the highest of the bantamweight division’s high 10 rankings. Sitting on a 10-fight win streak, there is no such thing as a different fighter at 135 extra deserving of a title alternative.
UFC CEO Dana White mentioned as a lot whereas addressing reporters on the newest pay-per-view’s post-fight press occasion.
“He appeared good tonight, man,” White mentioned. “He did what he had (to do). In my view, you’ll be able to’t take three years off in a fight sport. It’s by no means accomplished effectively for anyone. Cejudo appeared nice within the first spherical. I believed he began to fuel out within the second spherical. Merab simply received stronger because the struggle went on.”
After all, earlier than Sean O’Malley can flip his consideration towards both Merab Dvalishvili or Ilia Topuria, he’ll need to get previous his first bantamweight title challenger, Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera. The 2 will meet within the UFC 299 headliner on March 9 when the promotion returns to Miami.
Vera is the one man to have overwhelmed O’Malley contained in the Octagon, scoring a first-round TKO in opposition to ‘Sugar’ in August 2020.