Former UFC champion Sean O'Malley says he comes where Ilia Topuria comes from.
Currently on the lightweight throne Ilia Topuria, which has become the new champion of the world with a first round knockout from Charles Oliveira on UFC 317.
After the fight, the cameras concentrated on three potential opponents for Topuria: Arman Tsarukyan, Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett, in which Pimblett ended up with the champion in the Octagon.
Many experts such as Paul Felder and Michael Bisping have insisted on #1 CompSendant Tsarukyan to get the next title shot after back-to-back victories on Oliveira and Beneil Dariush. Bisping asked if Topuria pulled 'a Jon Jones' by not fighting Tsarukyan.
Topuria recently said that he would rather leave the title than a cancellation of a cancellation with Tsarukyan, who withdrew earlier this year from a title fight with Makhachev at UFC 311 due to injury.
O'Malley has weighed the controversy, because fans accuse Topuria of the #1 competition.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Sean O'Malley says there are larger fights for Ilia Topuria than Arman Tsarukyan
O'Malley believes that Tsarukyan could be one of the biggest title threats in Topuria on 155 pounds. With regard to promotion, 'Suga' thinks that there are larger fights for Topuria.
“Arman definitely has a chance,” O'Malley said about Tsarukyan's chances to Topuria on the overogs podcast.
“He definitely has a chance.”
“In Ilia's spirit … Ilia is now such a huge superstar. It's like why fighting Arman if you could fight against Islam [Makhachev] Or even Gaethje is a bigger fight than Arman. I think Paddy is a bigger fight, “O'Malley added.
“So it just depends on where Ilia's head is. He just wants to go outside and say hey, I want the next best man?
“I feel he is quite past it,” said O'Malley.
'He's a bit fun, who is the biggest fight? What's going [get] Most attention? And in mind it is not Arman now. So I come a bit where he comes from.
“Why run the risk of someone who is not super popular, who is whole, whole, very dangerous? Arman is very dangerous. So, I get that a bit from the perspective of Ilia.”
Sean O'Malley received a title defense for Merab Dvalishvili
O'Malley's Bantamweight title line lasted 392 days and ended in the hands of Dvalishvili on UFC 306 last September.
O'Malley criticized during his reign when he has a lower -ranked competition Chito Vera Rematch, who has him a victory over him, in his first title defense instead of Dvalishvili, the #1 candidate who was currently on a profit streak.
Dvalishvili turned out to be a stylistic nightmare for O'Malley about their two fights and the O'Malley championship run would probably have been demolished if he had met Dvalishvili instead of Vera.
O'Malley can at least say that he has recorded one title defense as a champion, dominating Vera in a five-round decision to keep his belt on UFC 299, whereby an earlier loss in the trial is being won.