UFC President Dana White pumps the brakes on potential Sean O’Malley vs. Cody Garbrandt matchup

UFC president Dana White has put a possible Sean O’Malley vs. Cody Garbrandt matchup on hold.

Sean O’Malley is becoming quite a star, especially following his knockout victory over Eddie Wineland two weeks ago at UFC 250. He has tallied a 12 fight win streak and remains undefeated since going professional in 2015.

He’s a welcome addition to the UFC roster, according to Dana White.

“He is one of the kids we are focused on and have been since the ‘Contender Series,’” said White said on The Schmozone. “He had some issues he had to deal with the last couple of years, which is brutal. But it’s given him a chance to heal up and here we are.”

The UFC president is referring to O’Malley’s troubles with USADA. The 25-year old was previously suspended by the anti-doping organization after testing positive for Ostarine. His recent controversies and back-to-back wins have put a huge target on his back. For White, it has earned O’Malley a comparison to one of the UFC’s biggest stars.

“Who does that remind you of?” asked White, clearly referencing Conor McGregor.

After his statement win at UFC 250, Sugar threw some shots towards the former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt. “No Love” also scored a huge KO victory against Raphael Assuncao on the same card. O’Malley claimed his KO was much better than the former champ’s and the pair continued to argue over the topic on social media and in interviews.

A possible matchup between the bantamweight stars would undoubtedly be a fan favorite, but White isn’t convinced that the matchup will happen any time soon.

“The problem is, you take a Sean O’ Malley…first of all he has been off for a couple of years, young kid, just coming in, like where does he goes from here? You got to give this kid a few more fights before he gets to Cody Garbrandt,” White said. “If he fought and beat Cody Garbrandt, then he’d break into the top five, and very few people in their careers break into the top five.”

Do you think Dana White is right to pump the brakes on a possible Cody Garbrandt vs. Sean O’Malley matchup?