Sean O’Malley had a cageside view of a future opponent at UFC 298, a method or one other.
O’Malley makes the primary protection of his UFC bantamweight title on March 9 in a rematch towards Marlon “Chito” Vera at UFC 299, and if victorious, he might discover himself preventing one of many two stars from Saturday’s card. Forward of UFC 298, O’Malley proposed a champion vs. champion match towards Ilia Topuria if the Spaniard defeated Alexander Volkanovski, which he did with a surprising second-round knockout to seize the UFC featherweight strap. Fellow bantamweight Merab Dvalishvili additionally dominated Henry Cejudo at UFC 298 to increase a division-best 10-fight win streak, then referred to as out O’Malley for a shot on the 135-pound belt.
O’Malley reacted to the 2 performances on Monday’s episode of The MMA Hour.
“Volk coming off that nasty KO not too way back, Ilia’s confidence that top, how harmful he’s — I had a sense that Ilia was going to win,” O’Malley mentioned on The MMA Hour.
“He knocked out the featherweight GOAT in Spherical 2. I knocked out [Aljamain Sterling], bantamweight GOAT, in Spherical 2. I’ve type of pushed that struggle a bit bit. I’ve been getting a whole lot of hate for it, a bit pushback saying that I’m ducking Merab. I’m like, Merab simply barely — not barely, he whooped Henry, however Henry is like 42 or one thing. He seemed horrible. I’d’ve knocked Henry out 4 instances that struggle. After which Ilia goes on the market and knocks out Volk, the best featherweight of all-time in Spherical 2 in a fantastic efficiency, and I’m calling him out, and I’m getting s*** from the MMA followers, saying, ‘Oh, you’re ducking Merab.’
“I’m attempting to name out a struggle that I really feel is thrilling, that’s like holy s***. However I received a whole lot of pushback on it. I don’t know if folks truly need me to struggle Merab as a lot as they simply hate the arrogance that I’ve that I’d go on the market and knock out Ilia. However I made a decision, I’ve mentioned what I wanted to say, I’ve despatched my message to Ilia. If Merab is subsequent, Merab is subsequent. I can get Ilia each time, each time the time comes. I haven’t talked to the UFC as a result of clearly there’s nothing to speak about. I’ve received Chito Vera, March 9. That’s what’s subsequent. That’s what I must give attention to.”
Whereas O’Malley, 29, and his coach Tim Welch have each campaigned for a possible superfight between the bantamweight champ and Topuria, that curiosity has to this point been unrequited. Topuria threw chilly water over the thought forward of UFC 298, telling MMA Fighting that O’Malley nonetheless has “quite a bit to show” at 135 kilos and predicting that Vera will beat O’Malley once more at UFC 299 after beforehand successful by way of first-round knockout in 2020.
As well as, UFC CEO Dana White anointed Dvalishvili as the subsequent No. 1 bantamweight contender at UFC 298’s post-fight press convention after the Georgian successful machine moved right into a tie for the longest win streak within the historical past of the UFC bantamweight division.
However O’Malley shouldn’t be deterred.
“I’ve mentioned what I must say to these guys. And actually, what it comes all the way down to is, I am going on the market and placed on the efficiency that I say I’m going to placed on towards Chito — a fantastic, masterful efficiency — and I name out whoever I need on that mic, I believe I can get what struggle I need,” O’Malley mentioned. “However I’ve received to go on the market and do what I do.”
O’Malley and Dvalishvili have traded shots at one another from afar since Dvalishvili stole O’Malley’s jacket this previous Might throughout an in-cage faceoff with Sterling. O’Malley on Monday conceded that he was “a bit bit” shocked by the benefit with which Dvalishvili outclassed Cejudo, although much less so after sure whispers reached him about Cejudo’s preparation.
“I used to be listening to rumors as much as struggle day that, ‘Hey, Henry didn’t have an excellent camp, Henry harm his groin, Henry didn’t get pretty much as good of sparring and coaching as a lot as he wished to,’ so with that being mentioned, you possibly can’t go right into a struggle not one hundred pc towards Merab,” O’Malley mentioned. “Merab is a machine, he has a 10-fight win streak. He’s f****** good.”
In the end, O’Malley is aware of your complete debate is moot if he fails to actual his revenge towards Vera at UFC 299, so he’s not counting his chickens earlier than they’re hatched.
However whether or not it’s Dvalishvili ready for him afterward or Topuria or another person solely, O’Malley likes his possibilities to proceed his scorching streak, even when others don’t.
“There’s Merab, there’s Cory [Sandhagen], there’s Ilia. These all have potential for subsequent,” O’Malley mentioned. “Once more, I’m — increase — laser centered, dialed into March 9. No matter occurs after that, I’m very assured in. Merab could be very beatable. Henry about knocked him out, Marlon Moraes about knocked him out. Merab’s received a loopy good gasoline tank, he’s received good wrestling, and he’s a harmful opponent. Once I consider a scary opponent, like what makes me [shiver], that’s Ilia. Ilia offers me that [feeling of], ‘He might put your f****** lights out and alter your life.’
“That’s a scary opponent. Merab is a harmful opponent, he’s simply received that good cardio and he might finally put your lights out after you gasoline out, however he’s not like [a finisher]. He didn’t end Henry. So we’ll see. I like massive, massive fights. Merab, I’m not saying that wouldn’t be up there, however what it comes all the way down to is, what do the folks actually, really need to see? In the event that they need to see Merab, that’s what’s subsequent. However once more, I hate even speaking about that, I’ve received Chito in entrance of me.”
