Image Credit: UFC.com
O’Malley says “I’m that guy” after UFC bantamweight title is vacated
With Henry Cejudo dropping the UFC bantamweight belt following his retirement, the vacant strap is up for grabs.
Sean O’Malley is convinced he is destined to fill the role eventually. While on The Luke Thomas Show via SiriusXM, Tuesday, May 26, O’Malley told Thomas why he is champion material.
“No one is really standing out. No one is really like, ‘This is who we want to be our champ,’” O’Malley said.
“I’m that guy that’s going to come knock these dudes out, get my title shot and I’m going to be the champ.”
🔊@SugaSeanMMA discusses the current state at BW and explains why he's not far from a title shot despite a crowded contender scene in the weight class #TLTS👊@lthomasnews
⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/HjFp8jrHIy— MMA on SiriusXM (@MMAonSiriusXM) May 26, 2020
Taking the steps
O’Malley is scheduled to fight a seasoned veteran in Eddie Wineland at UFC 250 on June 6.
The event is expected to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The promotion is still waiting for the Nevada Athletic Commission’s approval to resume combat sports in the state.
The 25-year-old is currently unranked in the promotion’s bantamweight division, but has a chance to make a statement against a 13-time UFC veteran in Wineland.
“Those top four guys are killers. They are high-level black belts in MMA, but no one is talking about them, no one is really like, ‘That’s the dude,’” O’Malley said. “I win a couple more fights, I’m that guy. I’m the guy people are going to want to see the bantamweight champ.”
O’Malley is coming off a first-round knockout against Jose Alberto Quinones at UFC 248 on March 7. He is a perfect 3-0 inside the octagon with wins over Andre Soukhamthath and Terrion Ware.
O’Malley burst onto the scene with a first-round knockout against Alfred Khashakyan on Dana White’s Contender Series in July 2017.
He is not in the mix for the belt just yet. He sees his path to the strap regardless.
“I’m that guy and I’m going to go out there and perform like I did last time, against Eddie and then whoever I fight next I’m going to go out there and do the same thing,” O’Malley said. “I am only a couple fights away from the title.”
