Sean O’Malley recently asserted that after Ilia Topuria’s upcoming clash with Max Holloway, the only clear course for “El Matador” is a showdown with him.
Topuria is gearing up to defend his featherweight crown for the first time in a highly anticipated clash against Holloway, headlining UFC 308 on October 26 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
“Suga” has been zeroing in on Topuria ever since retaining his bantamweight title against former foe Marlon Vera at UFC 299 this past March. Following his victory, O’Malley wasted no time in calling out the Georgian-Spanish fighter, even trading jabs with him on social media and igniting talk of a potential champ vs. champ super fight.
However, before O’Malley can lock horns with Topuria, he must first overcome another Georgian obstacle — Merab Dvalishvili.
The 29-year-old Montana native is set to put his title on the line against “The Machine’ in the headlining bout of Noche UFC 306, taking place this Saturday inside the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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@SugaSeanMMA vs @MerabDvalishvil
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“Suga” is convinced that once Topuria finishes business with Holloway, he’ll need to face a high-profile opponent like him…
O’Malley Shares Mixed Feelings On Possible Topuria Match
During a recent interview with Bleacher Report, O’Malley weighed in on a potential super fight with Topuria.
The reigning UFC bantamweight champ expressed that, after Noche UFC 306, he has no shortage of challengers waiting in the wings. However, he believes “El Matador” will be left without a worthy opponent after defending his title against Holloway.
“The more I think about the Ilia fight, I’m like, you know what, Ilia needs me,” O’Malley said. “Who’s he going to fight next? [If] he goes out there and beats Max [Holloway at UFC 308], who is he going to fight next? I have guys lined up. I have big fights. Ilia needs me more than I need Ilia.”
However, “Suga” voiced some hesitation, suggesting that he doubts Topuria will even make it past “Blessed” at UFC 308.
Instead, he floated the idea of facing rising star Umar Nurmagomedov, a fight “The Young Eagle” has previously likened to the magnitude of the legendary Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor showdown.
“To be honest, I don’t think he’s gonna get past Max anyway, so I’m kind of switching gears from that. We got guys like Umar that I think are going to be massive fights,” O’Malley added.”
Although Topuria, who knocked out Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 to capture the 145-pound title, has never openly entertained the idea of facing O’Malley, he didn’t entirely dismiss it.
After O’Malley called him out following UFC 299, “El Matador” left the door open for a potential showdown, fueling further speculation about a future clash.
Continue Reading Sean O’Malley: Ilia Topuria ‘Needs Me’ To Move Up After Max Holloway Fight at MMA News.