Sean O’Malley has been earmarked for stardom ever since the “Sugar Show” arrived on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2017.
The question is, how high can he climb? According to the reigning UFC bantamweight champion, he’s already near the top of the mountain. During UFC 306 media day on Wednesday, O’Malley acknowledged that Conor McGregor remains the promotion’s biggest draw. However, the Irishman’s lack of activity and success has made him a more attainable target in recent years.
“I think I’m close [to catching McGregor],” O’Malley said. “I think Conor still has one more big fight in him, but the big question mark is if he can come back and beat Michael Chandler. I think Conor has one more huge fight. But if he goes out and loses his next fight, that’s like six in a row or something? [His star power] has to die down eventually. Maybe not. But that’s a big testament to how big of a star he is. If he loses, I’m there. I’m the guy. I’m the No. 1.”
UFC 306: O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now!
O’Malley has fought five times since McGregor broke his leg in a loss against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021. McGregor was supposed to return to action against Chandler at UFC 303 in June, but a broken toe delayed his comeback yet again. That, O’Malley says, is a big difference between him and the former two-division champion.
“I bring fights,” O’Malley said. “I fight – often. I think that’s what it is right now. Conor was good on the mic. The accent, the words that he chose, he was very good on the mic. Performances, he had a couple good performances. But I’m just consistent right now. I’m fighting a lot. That’s what I bring.”
O’Malley will headline the promotion’s highly anticipated pay-per-view offering opposite Merab Dvalishvili at the Sphere in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Due to the unique nature of the venue, the card has drawn plenty of interest heading into the event. If O’Malley delivers against Dvalishvili on Saturday, that should open the door to a wide range of possibilities for his next fight. That includes the likes of Umar Nurmagomedov, Deiveson Figueiredo and Ilia Topuria, but O’Malley isn’t commiting to anything just yet with an opponent in front of him.
“There’s options. Right now it’s pointless,” he said. “I’ve got to get out there and take care of Merab. We’ve got options after.”
