Sean O’Malley isn’t keen on defending his UFC belt again, he wants a second strap.
After making easy work of Marlon Vera at the main event of UFC 299, UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley wants a shot at the new featherweight champion, Ilia Topuria.
Speaking to Joe Rogan inside the Octagon after being declared the winner, Suga asked UFC President Dana White to fly him to Spain so he can go after Topuria. However, O’Malley’s super fight challenge didn’t get Topuria’s interest, as the featherweight champion suggested to Suga that he take care of business first in his division before trying to win another one.
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Topuria’s fellow Georgian Merab Dvalishvili is currently knocking at O’Malley’s door. The 33-year-old Dvalishvili is currently the bantamweight division’s No. 1 ranked contender. He has won his last 10 bouts, including victories over former UFC champions Jose Aldo, Petr Yan, and Henry Cejudo in his last three UFC assignments.
Merab congratulated O’Malley backstage but Suga didn’t even recognise him. Nor is the bantamweight king too interested in defending the belt against him.
“I’ve called out Ilia because he’s scarier than Merab,” said O’Malley. “Merab’s a very very dangerous opponent he’s got a crazy gas tank, name his last three fights, you couldn’t. He’s boring, he’s not a superstar but he has a 10-fight win streak so there is something to it. He’s so boring he takes people down so there is something there and people want to see me lose because I’m the f****** man.”
A fight between Topuria and O’Malley would be a big one for the UFC and would be massive if it happened in Spain. Both Topuria and O’Malley are big names and a super fight between two champions has always proven to be a better sell than a title defence.
In the case of O’Malley, Merab is the top contender but as he says, a Dvalishvili fight could end up boring because the Georgian prefers to grapple and wrestle on the mat rather than stand and trade on his feet. But then again, maybe O’Malley doesn’t want that kind of opponent because as in boxing styles make fights in MMA and Merab has the style that could frustrate Suga.