Sean O’Malley is fighting for more than just a chance at redemption and the bantamweight title this weekend, according to UFC legend Chael Sonnen.
The former 135lb king takes on Merab Dvalishvili in the main event of UFC 316 on Saturday night, after losing his belt to the Georgian back in September. It’s been a divisive rematch, with many feeling that O’Malley should have had at least one fight before getting another shot.
However, Sonnen believes that it’s a fight of generational talents, with the title of the UFC’s greatest ever bantamweight on the line. He believes that the title is currently held by Dvalishvili, and that an O’Malley win would see it transferred given that both are in their respective primes.
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Sean O’Malley has chance to become UFC’s greatest ever bantamweight according to Chael Sonnen
Sean O’Malley had a meteoric rise to the top of the UFC bantamweight division, but it was brought to a crashing halt at UFC 306 when he was dominated by Merab Dvalishvili. And after a stunning win against Umar Nurmagomedov in January compounded a great run, he is now considered an all-time great.
And Sonnen, in a new YouTube video, explained how the winner of Saturday’s fight will be the best of all time in the division. “I want to make sure that you guys understand what the hell is on this table,” the former middleweight and light-heavyweight title contender began.
“They are fighting for ‘greatest 135-pounder of all time just so you know. Merab off the top of my head I can name four world champions he beat, not looking it up. I can tell you about Jose Aldo, I can tell you about Petr Yan, I can tell you about Sean O’Malley and I can tell you about Henry Cejudo.
“Four world champions, you’ve got to understand when that’s the streak that never gets interrupted where you’ve won ten or eleven with four world champions along the way. Imagine he had the belt way back, he would have defeated three world champions and been on a seven-fight win streak with the belt.
“These guys really are fighting for the best 135-pounder ever, I think. I think that because I think that that’s Merab. Jon Anik, the voice of the octagon, told us that it’s Merab.”
Sean O’Malley believes he is kicking off his career prime after turning 30
It’s been a busy few months for Sean O’Malley since he lost his world title back in September. He turned 30 in October, and has since welcomed a second child with his wife Danya last month.
In the meantime, he has made a number of hardcore lifestyle changes including a blanket ban from social media and smoking marijuana. And he feels he is about to put on the performance of a lifetime after a star-studded training camp.
“I’m 30 right now and we haven’t got to see me in my prime,” O’Malley told media including Bloody Elbow at today’s UFC 316 media day. “This might be the first fight in my prime but I want to stick around as long as possible, longevity is on my mind every day.”