From not wanting a top contender fight just two years ago, Sean O’Malley quickly rose through the ranks to become one of the UFC’s budding superstars. And now with a number next to his name, “Sugar” Sean is already seeing a brighter future for himself.
In a recent interview with Canal Encarada, the number 13 bantamweight contender drew out his vision for his immediate fighting future.
“I’m eventually gonna go up to ’45. Before I do that, I have to become the bantamweight champion. It has to be done,” O’Malley said. “I think I will, once I’m bantamweight champion, deserve and earn a title shot at ’45. I believe I can become double-champ.”
O’Malley also broached the idea of possibly competing in boxing, following a similar path taken by the company’s biggest superstar whom he wants to emulate, but only to a certain degree.
“And then I do think, in the future, Gervonta Davis sounds like a big fight for me. I would love to go over to the boxing world,” he said. “I know people love it, they hate it, they don’t want to talk about it. ‘MMA never beats boxers.’ But I’m in the entertainment business and I believe in my skills.
“I truly think that in four or five years, that if I’m double-champ, or if I’ve been the bantamweight, been the featherweight champ, and Gervonta Davis is still a superstar, there’s no reason I can’t go over there and perform for the fans in boxing and put his lights out, too and become the biggest combat sports athlete in the world.”
The 27-year-old O’Malley (technically 15-1) is currently on a three-fight win streak after his first-round TKO win over Raulian Paiva at UFC 269 in December. He is now slated to face number ten-ranked Pedro Munhoz at UFC 276 on July 2.
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