Sean O’Malley can finally breathe a sigh of relief. With UFC 306 on the horizon, headlined by his clash with Merab Dvalishvili, fans were worried that a mega boxing bout between Canelo Alvarez and David Benavidez might steal the spotlight. But with Canelo now set to fight Edgar Berlanga instead, O’Malley is feeling pretty good about the competition—or lack thereof.
While Canelo vs. Berlanga is still a big draw, it doesn’t pack the same punch as a Benavidez showdown, leaving O’Malley confident that UFC 306 will own the night in combat sports.
O’Malley recently sat down with Kevin Iole to share his thoughts on the same. When asked what he made of competition from the biggest name in boxing he said,
“I am not sure who he is fighting. I know you just told me but I can’t even remember the name even now. I am glad he is not fighting David Benavidez cause that is something I would like to sit down and watch. So I think it works out good.”
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Anytime Alvarez fights, it is a huge draw given he is one of the biggest names in combat sports. The Mexican fighter usually takes on the biggest possible challenge, however, that is not the case this time around. Despite Berlanga being a tough challenge, it just isn’t the fight that boxing fans wanted.
This led to fans as well as former fighters such as Oscar De La Hoya accusing the 34-year-old of ducking Benavidez.
The UFC bantamweight champion, however, is not scared of a little competition. Ironically, despite UFC president Dana White insistence on high PPV numbers, he believes that it will be performance of the night that determines the winner of the boxing vs UFC clash.
And the champion is confident he was beat Alvarez in that regard when he knocks out a man who has never been knocked out before.
O’Malley confident about winning boxing vs UFC
Canelo Alvarez is the bigger star compared to O’Malley and it isn’t even close. Normally, this would not even be a comparison… And despite the state of events with the first ever combat sports event at The Sphere, it still isn’t.
Boxing is a centuries old sport will billions of fans across the globe. And right now, there is no bigger name in professional boxing than the Mexican Maverick, Canelo Alvarez. So to even make O’Malley compete with him on the Mexican Independence Day weekend for PPV sales can be attributed to an astounding lack of vision.
However, O’Malley believes that their performance on Saturday night and the buzz it generates in the following week will determine who won the night.
He believes that if he stops Merab like he knows and predicts he can, and Alvarez takes the fight to the scorecards, he will generate more buzz and ultimately, win the head-to-head.
That said, Dvalishvili isn’t going to get knocked out just to help his opponent take credit for a great fight. ‘The Machine’ is called that for a reason. He is a relentless wrestler and has the strength of a bull.
And while O’Malley has the height advantage over him, once Dvalishvili takes him to the ground and tests him in the deep waters, PPV sales and an entertaining fight will probably be the last thing on the bantamweight champion’s mind.
