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Sean O'Malley Believes He’ll Get to a Point Where He’s 'Bigger Than the Belt'
- Thread starter Kowboy On Sherdog
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I could eat
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Livin the dream
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Way up. Maximum toonageSuga Show was Saturday
Today.... The Toon Show
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shut up
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Nicely done!
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He has potential to be big, but he’s nowhere near the star people were making out before he won the belt. I doubt his reign will be long enough for him to really get to that point though, his division is to stacked.
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If it wasn’t already obvious, Sean O'Malley made it quite clear that he isn’t the same fighter he was three years ago on Saturday night in Miami.
“Suga” successfully defended his bantamweight crown for the first time in the UFC 299 headliner, as he styled on Marlon Vera for five rounds to avenge a 2020 defeat against his Ecuadorean rival. About the only thing missing from O’Malley’s performance was a finish, but that’s not unusual for Vera opponents: “Chito” has yet to be stopped in 33 professional outings.
As O’Malley continues to build his star profile, his pound-for-pound status is also a work in progress. The latest victory for the Arizona native is enough for him to maintain his No. 11 ranking. Future victories over the likes of Merab Dvalishvili, or maybe Ilia Topuria, would propel O’Malley to even greater heights.
Note: Previous ranking in brackets.
1. Islam Makhachev (25-1) | UFC [1]
Makhachev made a statement at UFC 294, knocking out featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski with a head kick and follow-up punches in the opening round of their lightweight title clash at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The Dagestani standout has won 13 straight fights in the Octagon and thanks to consecutive title defenses against Volkanovski, can close the book on his rivalry with the Australian star. Makhachev’s next assignment could come against the winner of the lightweight title eliminator between Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan scheduled for UFC 300.2. Jon Jones (27-1, 1 NC) | UFC [2]
After a three-year absence, Jones looked as strong as ever in a new division, authoring a first-round submission triumph against Ciryl Gane in the UFC 285 headliner on March 4 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The longtime light heavyweight king was scheduled for a UFC 295 showdown with ex-heavyweight champ Stipe Miocic at Madison Square Garden for his first title defense before a torn pectoral forced him to withdraw from the bout. The hope is that Jones vs. Miocic can be rebooked at some point in 2024.3. Leon Edwards (22-3, 1 NC) | UFC [3]
For all the sound and fury promised by the public build-up between Edwards and challenger Colby Covington, the actual fight was a straightforward affair, lacking any of the eye-popping drama of Edwards’ pair of fights against Kamaru Usman. Instead, the champ forced Covington into the sort of mid-paced kickboxing match that characterized Edwards’ long rise to the top of the division, on his way to winning the first four rounds on all judges’ scorecards. While Edwards’ second title defense is unlikely to have earned him many new fans, it was a dominant showing against a veteran challenger. Whether Edwards’ next defense comes in the form of unfinished business against Belal Muhammad or a meeting with a streaking contender like Shavkat Rakhmonov, his place as one of the top fighters in the sport is secure for the moment.4. Ilia Topuria (15-0) | UFC [4]
Topuria ushered in a new era in the featherweight division with a second-round knockout of Alexander Volkanovski in the UFC 298 headliner at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, on Feb. 17. “El Matador” ended what had been a competitive bout with a clean right hook at the 3:32 mark of Round 2, showcasing his frightening fight altering power in the process. Topuria has all the makings of a massive star, capable of spearheading the promotion’s first-ever card in his home country of Spain. At just 27 years old, the future appears to be bright indeed for Topuria.5. Alex Pereira (9-2) | UFC [5]
Pereira has proven to be a quick study in MMA, as he became the ninth two-division champion in promotion history by virtue of a second-round stoppage of Jiri Prochazka in the UFC 295 headliner. It only took “Poatan” seven UFC appearances to capture gold at 185 and 205 pounds after conquering two divisions in Glory Kickboxing, making him one of the most accomplished combat sport athletes in recent memory. Next, the Brazilian will defend his title against former champ Jamahal Hill in the UFC 300 headliner.6. Alexander Volkanovski (26-4) | UFC [6]
Volkanovski couldn’t overcome Father Time at UFC 298, as the 35-year-old Aussie suffered a second-round knockout loss to Ilia Topuria in the evening’s main event at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Regardless of what the future holds, Volkanovski will go down as one of the sports all-time great featherweights and given his previously perfect record at 145 pounds, he has a solid case for an immediate rematch with Topuria. Whether that happens remains to be seen.7. Charles Oliveira (34-9, 1 NC) | UFC [7]
After relinquishing his belt to Islam Makhachev in October 2022, Oliveira made an emphatic statement in his return, as he defeated top contender Beneil Dariush via first-round technical knockout in the UFC 289 co-main event. “Do Bronx” held his own with Dariush on the canvas, but it was on the feet that he did his best work, rattling the Kings MMA product with head kicks and heavy punches before sealing his victory with ground-and-pound. Unfortunately, a cut suffered in training forced Oliveira to pull out of a rematch against Makhachev at UFC 294. He’ll now collide with Arman Tsarukyan in a title eliminator bout at UFC 300.8. Justin Gaethje (25-4) | UFC [8]
Gaethje picked up a statement win — and the UFC’s BMF belt — in style at UFC 291, getting the better of Dustin Poirier for six minutes before flattening him with a head kick. In avenging his 2018 loss to Poirier, “The Highlight” reaffirmed his status as a top contender in the UFC lightweight division. While Gaethje was angling for a lightweight title shot after that victory, he will instead defend his BMF belt against former 145-pound king Max Holloway at UFC 300.9. Alexandre Pantoja (27-5) | UFC [9]
Pantoja put on a dominant performance in the co-main event of UFC 296, grounding Brandon Royval seemingly at will and doing grimy work from top position for most of five rounds. While the result was not the frenetic fireworks show fans may have hoped for, “The Cannibal” effectively denied Royval any chance to employ his hyper-aggressive kickboxing and grappling, retaining his belt while facing next to no real danger. One danger Pantoja does face is a dearth of ready contenders, as he is now 2-0 against Royval and 3-0 against Brandon Moreno, counting their meeting on “The Ultimate Fighter.” As such, Pantoja will have to hope that someone like Amir Albazi or Manel Kape puts on an impressive performance in their upcoming outings—and emerges healthy enough to fight again soon.10. Vadim Nemkov (17-2, 1 NC) | Bellator [10]
After vacating his 205-pound belt, Nemkov enjoyed a successful heavyweight debut at PFL vs. Bellator, as he put Bruno Cappelozza to sleep with an arm-triangle choke 2:13 into the second round of their encounter at Kingdom Arena in Saudia Arabia on Feb. 24. Not only did the Fedor Emelianenko protege carry the extra 40 pounds quite well, but he managed to survive a brief moment of adversity when his Brazilan opponent clipped him on the feet just prior to the finishing sequence. The Russian is unbeaten in his last 13 professional appearances dating back to June 2016, and he becomes an instant contender in his new weight class.Other Contenders: Sean O’Malley, Aljamain Sterling, Israel Adesanya, Max Holloway, Tom Aspinall.
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Should / Is Suga Sean a Top 10 P4P?
I see O'malley getting to Izzy's level of draw/fame if he isnt already there.. I don't think he'll ever reach Conors because Conor was just unmatched on the mic but O'malley is very polarizing and he actually puts out entertaining fights and finishes.
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There was one thing missing from Sean O'Malley’s lopsided victory over Marlon Vera in the UFC 299 main event.
“Something about not getting the finish doesn’t sit right with me,” O’Malley said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “It was just like, ‘f—k.’ But I also haven’t watched it. Once I watch it back, I think I’ll get a little bit more excited. I aways want to get that finish.”
To be fair, nobody has finished Vera in 33 professional fights. Still, there was plenty to like about O’Malley’s performance outside of that, as he avenged a previous loss to “Chito” with a striking masterclass over 25 dominant minutes.
“I knew I was better than this guy for three and a half years,” O’Malley said. “I knew the first fight was a fluke. I proved that, and it felt good.”
At the conclusion of the event, UFC CEO Dana White praised O’Malley, calling the Arizona native the biggest star in bantamweight history. Meanwhile, O’Malley himself was impressed with the energy inside the Kaseya Center in Miami on Saturday night, with dueling fan bases going head-to-head during the main event — and even during the pre-fight press conference.
“It’s incredible. So weird to be me right now,” he said. “Being able to stand there and listen to that and perform for the people. If it wasn’t for the fans, if it wasn’t for the media to cover this sport, I wouldn’t be in this position. It’s really, really cool.”
As for his own star power, O’Malley is confident he’s on the right track.
“I think I’m creeping up there. I’m getting up there,” he said. “At the end of the day, the UFC doesn’t need anyone. They’re gonna find stars, they’re gonna put on crazy fights regardless. But I think I’m working my way up to one of the biggest names in the sport.”
O’Malley hasn’t been shy about his desire to face recently-crowned featherweight champion Ilia Topuria. That doesn’t mean he’ll reject a title defense at 135 pounds against top contender Merab Dvalishvili, however. It just means he’s on the hunt for the biggest fight possible.
“Moving up to [featherweight], that’s champ vs. champ automatically is huge,” he said. “He [Topuria] just knocked out Alexander Volkanovski, that’s massive. It’s just an exciting fight. I’m here for massive fights. That’s what I want to be a part of. If that’s it, sweet. If Merab’s it, sweet. I like having options.”
O’Malley can already see a day when fighting for a belt is secondary. That’s what true stardom can do in this sport.
“We’ll go with the flow. If it happens, I feel like I could move up to [145],” he said. “I’m gonna get to a point to where I don’t even need the belt, I’m bigger than the belt. I’m the main event at 140, 142.5 just for f—ing fun. I’m getting to that point.
Sean O'Malley Believes He’ll Get to a Point Where He’s 'Bigger Than the Belt'
There was one thing missing from Sean O'Malley’s lopsided victory over Marlon Vera in the UFC 299 main event.www.sherdog.com
And then he'll think he can beat a boxing world champ because Fury gave him false confidence, and mma fans will eat it up thinking he's gonna win, but he'll get KO'd flat because lower weight guys don't fuck around like Fury.
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