Sean O'Malley recently fired back at Umar Nurmagomedov, who expressed being "ashamed" of O'Malley as the UFC bantamweight champion.
Nurmagomedov earned an impressive unanimous decision win over Cory Sandhagen in the main event of UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi last weekend, catapulting himself near the top of the division and potentially solidifying his status as the #1 contender.
The undefeated Dagestani's victory potentially positions him as the ideal challenger for "Sugar," but this matchup hinges on whether O'Malley successfully defends his title against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306 on September 14.
Nurmagomedov is aiming to challenge O'Malley for the belt, hoping the American remains the champion by then. However, he hasn't held back his criticism, previously labeling O'Malley as a negative influence on the younger generation.
O'Malley is intrigued by Nurmagomedov as a potential challenge, but there might be an even stronger incentive for him to defeat the rising prospect…
O'Malley Aims To Beat Nurmagomedov To 'Sting' Conor McGregor
During a recent video on his YouTube channel, O'Malley discussed the potential of fighting Nurmagomedov in the future. His coach, Tim Welch, asked "Sugar" if he could knock out the Dagestani. O'Malley admitted that Nurmagomedov would be a challenging opponent but expressed confidence in his ability to succeed, pointing to his knockout of Aljamain Sterling.
I could chin anybody in the division," O'Malley said. "Umar is a tough fight. I thought Aljo [Sterling] was the toughest fight in the division for me at the time, and I knocked him out. I think Umar is probably one of the toughest challenges in the division.
"Sugar" further remarked that a potential bout against Nurmagomedov could become one of the biggest fights in UFC history, and such a high-profile clash would surely drive Conor McGregor wild.
I think it makes it an interesting match, but O'Malley vs. Nurmagomedov could be one way I become, you know, bigger than Conor, like I've claimed I've wanted to be. If I do what he couldn't do—beat a Nurmagomedov, take away the 'O'—that would really sting him. He's already mad at me, jealous, but this would really sting him.
"The Notorious" has a storied history with the Nurmagomedov family, highlighted by his intense rivalry with Khabib Nurmagomedov. This feud culminated in a dramatic showdown at UFC 229 in 2018, where McGregor suffered a fourth-round submission loss.
O’Malley has recently set his sights on McGregor as a potential opponent, a surprising turn given their previous admiration for each other, which has now devolved into animosity. This shift followed a series of fiery exchanges on social media.
Defeating a member of the Nurmagomedov family—an achievement that eluded McGregor—could be O’Malley’s way of getting the last laugh at his former idol.