O’Malley admits he’s glad fight with ilia Topuria never happened

3 weeks ago 32

The seasoned combatant abruptly had a antithetic position connected the thought of ​​fighting ilia Topuria, particularly aft the second made a existent splash successful the UFC world. When the young combatant impressed with a first-round knockout of Charles Oliveira astatine UFC 317 to instrumentality the lightweight belt, O’Malley was wholly amazed by the performance. During the unrecorded broadcast, helium admitted however blessed helium was that their earlier situation ne'er materialized.

“Islam vs. Ilia has to happen. He’s connected the level of Jon Jones now. He’s knocked retired Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway and Oliveira. Who tin halt him present successful the lightweight division?” the 28-year-old said connected his YouTube channel.

He besides added that helium was really grateful that his situation was not accepted astatine the time. “Thank God helium didn’t judge my situation aft I bushed Chita. Honestly, it’s fortunate the UFC didn’t signifier that fight,” helium said, honestly admitting that helium wasn’t acceptable for specified an hostile astatine the time.

Verbal skirmish and aboriginal plans

Let's retrieve that O'Malley and Topuria were successful a verbal struggle past year. Ilia had conscionable go the featherweight champion astatine the time, portion Sean was astatine the apical of the bantam division. The combatant from Arizona did not fell his tendency for that showdown.

"There are fighters you conscionable privation to challenge, and Ilia is 1 of them," O'Malley said, stressing that helium likes spectacular and large fights.

However, that combat has not taken spot truthful far, and O'Malley has suffered 2 losses successful the meantime against Merab Dvalishvili, who inactive holds the bantamweight throne.

However, O'Malley believes that Ilia has a large accidental for different large fight, barring a duel with Islam Makhachev, who has moved up to welterweight to situation for the rubric against Jack Della Maddalena.

"Ilia vs. Paddy, that's a combat we person to see. That combat conscionable has to happen. It would beryllium an unthinkable property conference, a large build-up and a large match. Honestly, that's a combat the UFC has to enactment together. I'm going to telephone Dana White close present and spot what we tin arrange," O'Malley concluded, hoping to marque this combat happen.

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