Ilia Topuria, the undefeated featherweight fighter, has dismissed Sean O’Malley’s callout for a super fight.
O’Malley expressed his interest in facing Topuria if both emerge victorious in their upcoming title bouts. However, Topuria (14-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) sees no benefit in fighting O’Malley (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC).
In an interview Topuria stated, “He’s a fighter who fights well, with a visible style, good timing, and reflexes. Although he doesn’t have heavy hands, he hits with precision. It’s not an easy fight as many claim. He may be the world champion, but what would I gain by facing him? Right now, it’s not in my plans to fight him.”
Topuria also expressed doubts about O’Malley’s star status. Despite headlining the upcoming UFC 299 card, O’Malley’s previous opponent, Aljamain Sterling, claimed that their title fight in August at UFC 292 didn’t sell as many pay-per-views as anticipated. This claim has contributed to Topuria’s opinion that O’Malley is not the superstar he believes himself to be.
“He thinks he’s a superstar, but he’s not at all,” Topuria remarked. “If you see his last pay-per-view numbers, you’ll understand why. I want to focus on my growth and not have someone else benefit at my expense.”
As Topuria continues to rise through the ranks of the UFC featherweight division, it remains to be seen whether a potential matchup with O’Malley will materialize. Fans will be eagerly watching to see how Topuria’s career unfolds and if he can maintain his undefeated record in the highly competitive world of mixed martial arts.