Sean O’Malley wants no part of Ilia Topuria’s firepower.
On Saturday night, Topuria turned his dream into reality, finishing Charles Oliveira with a vicious first-round knockout in the UFC 317 headliner to claim the lightweight title and cement his status as a two-division champion.
“El Matador” handled Oliveira’s early grappling exchanges with composure before steering the fight back into his striking domain. He then uncorked a thunderous right hook that stunned Oliveira, followed by a pinpoint left hand that sealed the deal. The former lightweight champion collapsed to the canvas unconscious, prompting the referee to wave it off at 2:27 of the opening round.
Before his lightweight triumph, Ilia Topuria had already left a trail of destruction in the featherweight division, first dethroning Alexander Volkanovski to claim the 145-pound title, then cementing his reign with a brutal knockout of Max Holloway in his first defense last year.
Back when Topuria held the featherweight belt, former bantamweight titleholder O’Malley had campaigned for a champion vs. champion showdown. The bout never materialized, and after witnessing Topuria’s savage finish at UFC 317, “Suga” is more than thankful it stayed that way.
Sean O’Malley Feels Lucky UFC Passed On Ilia Topuria Matchup
During a live reaction on his YouTube channel, Sean O’Malley had nothing but praise for Ilia Topuria following his stunning finish of Charles Oliveira at UFC 317. Speaking candidly, “Suga” admitted that after witnessing Topuria notch three consecutive knockouts against elite competition, he now feels fortunate the UFC never followed through on his dream matchup with the newly crowned lightweight king.
“Holy f**k,” O’Malley said. “Islam [Makhachev] vs. Topuria needs to happen. He’s up there with Jon Jones, man. Thank God he didn’t accept my callout. … After I beat ‘Chito’ [Marlon Vera], I called out Ilia and he got scared and ran to 155. No, I’m just kidding, thank God the UFC didn’t make that fight. Knocked out [Alexander Volkanovski], knocked out Max [Holloway], knocked out Charles. Islam next at 170 [pounds]? Holy f**k. Who would even fight Ilia at 155 next? Holy f**k”
