Sean O’Malley has long been told he’s a huge superstar fighter, to a point where one might argue its veracity. And now he’s being told stylistically he could outstrike featherweight champion Ilia Topuria. But if he couldn’t take on Merab Dvalishvili, how does he hope to fare against the Spaniard?
O’Malley is a master of counterpunching and making his opponents miss, which according to his coach Tim Welch is stylistically a foil to Topuria’s technical abilities.
‘Suga’ apparently has all the right tools to make the Spaniard uncomfortable inside the octagon.
If there is one factor that could justify that statement, it is that even though he does end up knocking out his opponents, Topuria takes quite a bit of damage. And even though O’Malley doesn’t look like it, he’s a much bigger dude.
That said, Welch understands that a single mistake against ‘El Matador‘ would get you gored.
“Sylistically, Sean could give Ilia problems, he really could. But Ilia Topuria is a very very scary fight…You make one mistake with Ilia Topuria and you’re gonna be lights out.”
But for now, that is not the title shot that Team ‘Suga‘ is looking for.
O’Malley still wants to tag Merab
Despite UFC President Dana White asserting that it will be Umar Nurmagomedov who takes on Merab Dvalishvili for the bantamweight title, O’Malley desperately wants the title he believes he never lost at UFC 3o6.
He did lose it and badly so. He just believes he didn’t. So he wants it back. Naturally!
But right now, he is in recovery from a hip surgery that will keep him out of the octagon for months.
But as soon as he heals up, coach Welth believes he shoots for the title again and wins this time after a couple of minor adjustments to his game.
“I think it’s very likely…and we fix a couple things in that fight and that fight is completely different. Especially if we get Sean to a 100%.”
Dvalishvili was even happy to offer him the title rematch in November after being pushed by Umar. But it was O’Malley who told him to go fight the Dagestani first or risk making the UFC mad.
Regardless, ‘Suga’ is now home, getting into the DMs of Hailey Welch AKA the ‘Hawk Tuah’ girl. He has a very ‘reasonable‘ explanation for it but that doesn’t stop it from being weird.
