UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley defended his belt for the first time at UFC 299 against Marlon Vera. ‘Sugar’ put on a clinical display and earned a unanimous decision win to avenge the only loss in his career so far. As is the case with champions in any division, there is a slew of contenders waiting in line. However, it appears as though O’Malley is not that interested in facing the consensus number-one contender in the bantamweight division right now, Merab Dvalishvili.
‘The Machine’ recently appeared on ‘The Schmo’s YouTube channel for an interview. During the interview, ‘The Schmo’ asked Dvalishvili what he made of O’Malley’s disinterest in fighting him next. ‘
The Machine’ replied saying, “It’s all good. I know I am fighting for the belt next. Even O’Malley can’t recognize the number one contender. He can’t say my name. Even I see him and shake his hand he don’t know who I was. What the heck, bro, come on O’Malley. You gotta promote this fight, bro. This fight is big, we all know. But he has to keep talking about this fight. Because he is going to fight me and we’re going to promote this fight. That’s all. Fight me and then we will find out.”
Following his win over Vera, O’Malley had other plans in mind. ‘Sugar’ called out newly crowned featherweight champion Ilia Topuria for a fight. ‘El Matador’ is a fighter O’Malley has had multiple run-ins with in the past, therefore, the callout was understandable.
However, Dvalishvili is on a 10-fight win streak and the rightful challenger to the belt. While O’Malley might have other plans, the UFC most likely will not oblige to his wishes.
A closer look at the fight between Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley
Dvalishvili has been on a tear now and has not lost a fight since 2018. His ten-fight win streak includes wins over the likes of Henry Cejudo, Petr Yan, José Aldo, and more. The UFC would like to book the fight as soon as possible. However, recent updates might throw a wrench in the UFC’s plans.
After a hard-fought win over Vera, O’Malley was indefinitely suspended by the Athletic Commission. He will have to be cleared by an orthopedic doctor before he can compete again. Unfortunately, at this point in time, there is no further information regarding the timeline for O’Malley’s return.
