UFC fighter Sean O’Malley is prepared to fight anyone, including Merab Dvalishvili as a backup, in his upcoming title defense at UFC 299, while also acknowledging the potential challenges of future fights and expressing his ambition to become a long-reigning champion.
Sean O’Malley is all set. He’s ready to take on whoever the UFC throws his way this Saturday. His eyes are locked on Marlon Vera, his opponent for the upcoming UFC 299’s main event. But, there’s a twist.
Merab Dvalishvili is waiting in the wings. He’s flying into Miami on Wednesday, ready to step in if things go south. Dvalishvili is fresh off a big win against former two-division UFC champ, Henry Cejudo. That victory catapulted him to the top contender spot in the bantamweight division.
Now, Dvalishvili’s style is a stark contrast to Vera’s. He’s all about the grappling, while Vera prefers to let his fists do the talking. But O’Malley? He’s not fazed. He’s ready to take on Dvalishvili at a moment’s notice.
“I will fight him on Saturday,” O’Malley declared during UFC 299 media day. “Yeah, 100 percent.”
Dvalishvili could’ve been O’Malley’s next opponent even before his win over Cejudo. But, the UFC decided to give Vera the title shot. O’Malley acknowledged Dvalishvili’s impressive performance but isn’t quite ready to crown him as the next in line for the title.
“He had a great performance too,” O’Malley said of Dvalishvili’s win. “Henry didn’t look great by any means, but Merab did what he does. He almost gets knocked out and then wins. It was impressive. Very well could be next. I like having my options open. He could be [next.]”
After his loss to Dvalishvili, Cejudo hinted at retirement. But, he decided to return to the ring, not wanting to end his career on a sour note. O’Malley and Cejudo have had their fair share of heated exchanges, but O’Malley doesn’t hold any grudges. He’s not sure if fighting again is the best move for Cejudo after two consecutive losses, but he’s not one to tell someone when to hang up their gloves.
“I mean, I don’t want to kick him when he’s down,” O’Malley said of Cejudo. “He’s not doing too good. He didn’t look good at all. I wouldn’t recommend [fighting again] but it’s his life to choose what he does with it.”
When it comes to a potential fight with Dvalishvili, O’Malley had initially thought that Dvalishvili’s teammate and friend, former UFC champ Aljamain Sterling, would be a bigger challenge. But, O’Malley took down Sterling in two rounds to claim the bantamweight title. That said, he’s not underestimating Dvalishvili or looking past Vera.
“I thought Aljamain Sterling was the hardest matchup for me in the division and I put his lights out in two rounds,” O’Malley said. “I think Merab’s definitely up there. Everybody in the top 10, no one is an easy fight. Chito is not an easy fight. Merab’s a tough fight. Chito’s a tough fight. [Ilia Topuria] is a tough fight. They’re all tough fights.”
O’Malley has big plans. He wants to hold on to his title and become a long-standing UFC champion. But, he’s not getting ahead of himself.
O’Malley dreams of becoming one of the most dominant fighters on the planet. But, he knows he can’t rush towards a second title defense until he gets past Vera.
“I’m just going with the flow right now,” O’Malley said. “I’ve learned firsthand when I fought Chito the first time that anything can happen. I always knew that, but nothing ever happened to me where it was real.
“Anything can happen, I’m not looking past him, but for fun, you want to say what happens in the next 5, 10 years? I’d love to never lose. Just going with the flow.”