Former UFC bantamweight champion Sean OโMalley was supposed to be taking his time off from fighting. After losing his title to Merab Dvalishvili, โSugaโ underwent surgery to fix his hips. However, OโMalley is eager to make a comeback and has issued an ultimatum to the champion Merab Dvalishvili and contender Umar Nurmagomedov.
Sean OโMalley has expressed confidence that Umar Nurmagomedov will defeat Merab Dvalishvili if they face off next. However, Dvalishvili questioned whether Nurmagomedov, despite his unbeaten record, has earned a title shot. He argued that the Dagestani had only defeated one top-15 opponent. With the ongoing uncertainty, OโMalley recently sent out a tweet on X.ย
At UFC 306, Merab Dvalishvili claimed the bantamweight title after defeating Sean OโMalley by decision. For his first title defense, Dvalishvili seems more inclined to give fighters like Deiveson Figueiredo a shot first. โThe Machineโ has indicated that he may delay a fight with Nurmagomedov. He also suggested the Dagestani star fight someone like Petr Yan.
If unibrow and Merab donโt fight by the end of the year Iโm fighting Merab in March. ๐๐ฝ suck my sac if you donโt like that.
โ Sean O’Malley (@SugaSeanMMA) October 8, 2024
Nurmagomedov, on the other hand, seems ready and confident for the matchup. He even attended UFC 306 to witness the Georgian fighter win and has taken a subtle dig at Dvalishviliโs stance on โunfairness.โ Although Dvalishvili has not definitively ruled out the fight, he remains cryptic about when or if he would agree to face Umar.
Sean OโMalley says Renato Moicano vs. Paddy Pimblett is โthe fight to makeโ
The injury will sideline OโMalley till March of next year. As such, he has focused on his podcast with coach Tim Welch. The duo recently discussed the rivalry between Renato Moicano and Paddy Pimblett. After Moicanoโs dominant victory over Benoit Saint-Denis, Pimblett called him out on social media, sparking tensions between the fighters.ย
Bantamweight star Sean OโMalley would love to see that fight. During his recent episode on the TimboSugarShow, OโMalley mentioned the potential showdown between the two lightweights as โthe fight to make.โ Tim Welch was pondering on a potential showdown between Moicano and Justin Gatheje. Meanwhile, โSugaโ had other plans for the #11 ranked lightweight.ย
Moicano is currently on a four-fight winning streak. He sees a bout with Pimblett as a serious opportunity for greater exposure, given Pimblettโs significant social media presence. The Brazilian has warned Pimblett not to accept a fight, threatening to cause harm if they ever face off in the octagon. If the UFC decides to put these two contenders inside the octagon, it will be interesting to see what happens next.