Ilia Topuria moves on from Sean O’Malley following UFC 306: “I’m better than you, so why fight?”
UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria says Sean O’Malley has blown a potential super fight with him following UFC 306.
O’Malley fell short in his bid for another successful UFC bantamweight title defense at UFC 306. It was a historic event with the UFC making its debut at the Sphere in Las Vegas. The “Suga” show lost the 135-pound gold to Merab Dvalishvili via unanimous decision.
Prior to the event, many wondered if O’Malley and Topuria could keep their momentum going in order to make room for a champion vs. champion clash. The 145-pound ruler says that possibility is now out the window.
Ilia Topuria Dismisses Fight With Sean O’Malley Following UFC 306
In an interview with Marca, Ilia Topuria said he isn’t too concerned about missing out on a lucrative fight with Sean O’Malley following Noche UFC. In fact, Topuria believes better opportunities will come along (h/t MMAMania.com).
“Some other better fight will come along,” Topuria told Marca. “It’s like the same with Paddy [Pimblett]. It seemed like a super attractive fight, but if you’re not at the [same] level, what can I do? You get defeated even before you get into the Octagon with me. I don’t even need to get in there for people to know that I’m better than you. So why fight?”
Topuria will need to focus on his own title defense coming up at UFC 308. He will be putting his gold at stake against Max Holloway on October 26th in Abu Dhabi. It’s a huge fight for Topuria, who has a chance to add to his resume if he can knock off “Blessed,” who is a surefire UFC Hall of Famer.
As for that O’Malley fight, perhaps one day the conversation will heat up again.
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
Topics:
Ilia Topuria Sean O'Malley UFC
