Sean O’Malley has stated that if he successfully defends his bantamweight title against Marlon Vera at UFC 299 in March then he wants to fight Ilia Topuria for the featherweight belt instead of facing leading 135lb contender Merab Dvalishvili.
However, O’Malley admits that while he feels Topuria is the more dangerous fight, some fans are sceptical that he is just trying to avoid having to go up against the dominant ground game of Dvalishvili that even former two-division champ and Olympic wrestling gold medalist Henry Cejudo has been unable to stop.
“He knocked out the featherweight GOAT in Round 2,” O’Malley said of Topuria on The MMA Hour show. “I knocked out [Aljamain Sterling], bantamweight GOAT, in Round 2. I’ve kind of pushed that fight a little bit. I’ve been getting a lot of hate for it, a little pushback saying that I’m ducking Merab. I’m like, Merab just barely — not barely, he whooped Henry, but Henry is like 42 or something. He looked horrible. I would’ve knocked Henry out four times that fight. And then Ilia goes out there and knocks out Volk, the greatest featherweight of all-time in Round 2 in a beautiful performance, and I’m calling him out, and I’m getting s*** from the MMA fans, saying, ‘Oh, you’re ducking Merab.’
“I’m trying to call out a fight that I feel is exciting, that’s like holy s***. But I got a lot of pushback on it. I don’t know if people actually want me to fight Merab as much as they just hate the confidence that I have that I would go out there and knock out Ilia. But I decided, I’ve said what I needed to say, I’ve sent my message to Ilia. If Merab is next, Merab is next. I can get Ilia whenever, whenever the time comes. I haven’t talked to the UFC because obviously there’s nothing to talk about. I’ve got Chito Vera, March 9. That’s what’s next. That’s what I need to focus on.”
O’Malley did go on to say that he considers Dvalishvili to be a “dangerous” opponent, but emphasized that in his opinion a fight with Topuria would not only be more exciting, but would also be the more intimidating match-up for him personally.
“Merab is very beatable. Henry about knocked him out, Marlon Moraes about knocked him out. Merab’s got a crazy good gas tank, he’s got good wrestling, and he’s a dangerous opponent. When I think of a scary opponent, like what makes me [shiver], that’s Ilia. Ilia gives me that [feeling of], ‘He could put your f****** lights out and change your life.’
“That’s a scary opponent. Merab is a dangerous opponent, he’s just got that good cardio and he could eventually put your lights out after you gas out, but he’s not like [a finisher]. He didn’t finish Henry. So we’ll see. I like big, big fights. Merab, I’m not saying that wouldn’t be up there, but what it comes down to is, what do the people really, truly want to see? If they want to see Merab, that’s what’s next. But again, I hate even talking about that, I’ve got Chito in front of me.”
