Morning Report: Sean O’Malley wants 145-pound title shot after Noche UFC then ‘big boxing match’: ‘You gotta give me that’

Sean O’Malley is as ambitious of a champion as we currently have in the UFC.

The bantamweight king has made it clear since he captured the title last August that he wants to make some big dreams a reality. Before O’Malley had even made his first success title defense, and Ilia Topuria had captured featherweight gold, he was targeting a champion vs. champion fight.

That idea has been stalled with O’Malley heading onto Noche UFC and the Las Vegas Sphere for a defense against Merab Dvalishvili next month. Meanwhile, Topuria’s first defense will come against former champion and BMF title holder Max Holloway at UFC 308 in October. In unofficial mini-tournament fashion, “Sugar” hopes to put away “The Machine” and go on and challenge whoever has the featherweight title afterward. Therefore, setting up his targeted crossover boxing superfight.

“I beat Merab, knock him out viciously, boom, land a couple extra shots before the ref can get in then Ilia, Max fight and I’ll fight the winner of whoever wins that,” O’Malley said on DeepCut. “If Max wins he’s the ‘45-pound champ and BMF. If Ilia wins he’s the ‘45 [champ] and BMF. Moving up would be a massive, massive fight for the company, for the UFC.

“I want to get a big boxing fight. I want Gervonta Davis. I want Ryan Garcia. I want a big boxing fight. I gotta earn that big boxing fight. The way I do that is by going up a weight class and knocking one of those guys out. You can’t deny me a big boxing fight if I go out there and knock Merab out, knock Ilia out or Max out. You can’t deny that. You gotta give me that big boxing fight.”

A boxing match with a notable pound-for-pound boxer has been an idea presented by O’Malley along with his previous hopes of the Topuria clash. However, it’s been incredibly rare to see the UFC play ball in such collaborative efforts. If it doesn’t work out, fighters can end up “erased” like former heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.

O’Malley, 29, feeds off the doubt he’s received in his admittedly premature aspirations. He’s gone farther than many gave him credit for as a highly-hyped Dana White’s Contender Series alum. So, in this instance, it’s just more fuel and motivation for the champion.

“People hate when I bring up boxing,” O’Malley said. “They hate it, and I’m fine with that. They can hate on it, but if I do that, you gotta give it to me. You gotta say, ‘Okay, you get that.’ That’s kind of where my head’s at.

“That same delusional 16-year-old that told everyone I’m gonna be in the UFC, I’m gonna be the champ and defend the belt, they think I’m crazy. They’re the same people that think I’m crazy for even saying that. People have been saying that my whole life. That doesn’t affect me or make me feel any certain way like, ‘Oh, maybe that can’t happen.’ That just doesn’t make sense to me. Anything can happen.”

I’ve always been known to be the guy that’s not afraid to walk into enemy territory and put on a great fight.

You’d be surprised how many of these fighters behind closed doors are cowards that are difficult to work with https://t.co/ubLHJr54Dx

— Kevin Lee MTP (@MoTownPhenom) August 15, 2024

After I take finish Higo 11/16
Maybe I’ll come take that vacant 135lb @rizin_PR belt too

— Patchy Mix (@TeamMixMMA) August 15, 2024

Last time UFC went to Macau, I was still able to get credentials and take photos cageside.

The card had three future title holders, with Michael Bisping busting up Cung Le, Tyron Woodley knocking out Dong Hyun Kim, and Colby Covington beating a Chinese fighter in the prelims https://t.co/fwUCtv7kwW pic.twitter.com/yUJO3HPx7C

— Anton Tabuena (@antontabuena) August 15, 2024

THE UFC LOVE AND WANT ME FOR DECEMBER! I AM READY.

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) August 16, 2024