Sean O’Malley Calls Merab Dvalishvili 'Very Beatable' After UFC 298, Eyes Ilia Topuria Fight
Highlights
- O'Malley brushes off potential future opponent Merab as 'very beatable' after observing his UFC 298 bout.
- Despite contemplating a shift to challenge featherweight champ Ilia Topuria, O'Malley remains focused on defending his title against Vera.
- The bantamweight champion acknowledges criticism for not immediately accepting a fight with Merab, emphasizing desire for exciting matchups.
Sean O’Malley observed a potential future opponent up close at UFC 298 as Merab Dvalishvili showcased dominance over former two-division champion Henry Cejudo. Despite O'Malley's pending title defense, he brushed off his prospective challenger as very beatable' and is already contemplating a shift in weight class to challenge featherweight champion Ilia Topuria. O’Malley is slated to defend his UFC bantamweight title for the first time on March 9 in a rematch against Marlon “Chito” Vera at UFC 299, and if he emerges victorious, he might be pitted against one of the standout performers from the recent event.
Before UFC 298, O’Malley floated the idea of a champion vs. champion showdown against Ilia Topuria should the Spaniard triumph over Alexander Volkanovski, a feat he accomplished with a remarkable second-round knockout to seize the UFC featherweight championship. Merab Dvalishvili, a fellow bantamweight, extended his division-leading win streak to 10 fights and subsequently called out O’Malley for a chance at the 135-pound title. UFC CEO Dana White affirmed that the Georgian contender is next in line for a shot at O'Malley if he secures victory at UFC 299.
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The UFC Bantamweight Champion Wants Ilia Topuria
On Monday's episode of The MMA Hour, O’Malley discussed the recent performances. He anticipated Ilia's victory, citing his confidence and dangerous skill set. Reflecting on his own achievements, O’Malley drew parallels to Ilia's knockout victory over the featherweight legend in round 2, contrasting it with his own knockout of Aljamain Sterling, considered the bantamweight great.
“He knocked out the featherweight GOAT in Round 2. I knocked out, bantamweight GOAT, in Round 2. I’ve kind of pushed that fight a little bit.”
O’Malley acknowledged the criticism he faced for not immediately accepting a fight with Merab, attributing it to his confidence in his abilities. Despite the backlash, he emphasized his desire for exciting matchups. O’Malley clarified that while he's called out Ilia, he's open to facing Merab if that's the next challenge. He acknowledged that his focus remains on his upcoming fight against Chito Vera on March 9, and he hasn't discussed potential future matchups with the UFC yet.
‘Sugar’ Sean appears confident that he will knockout Merab, citing him getting rocked in previous fights.
“Merab is very beatable. Henry about knocked him out, Marlon Moraes about knocked him out. Merab’s got a crazy good gas tank, he’s got good wrestling, and he’s a dangerous opponent.”
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The Georgian-Spanish Star Is Eyeing Other Fights
Although O’Malley has advocated for a superfight between the bantamweight champion and Topuria, their enthusiasm has not been reciprocated thus far. Topuria dampened the notion ahead of UFC 298, stating that O’Malley still needs to prove himself further at his division. He also predicted that Vera would triumph over O’Malley once more at UFC 299, referring to Vera's prior victory via first-round knockout in 2020.
