In the realm of mixed martial arts, Sean O’Malley is eyeing the potential to capitalize on one of UFC’s most storied rivalries, that of Conor McGregor versus Khabib Nurmagomedov. Should the opportunity arise to face Umar Nurmagomedov, O’Malley believes the historic feud could be leveraged to promote their bout. Despite Umar’s promising rise in the bantamweight division, O’Malley remains skeptical about the No.13 ranked contender’s drawing power for such a high-profile fight.
During an interview with ESPN MMA’s Brett Okamoto, the bantamweight champion, O’Malley, expressed his openness to the fight, mainly due to the marketing potential rooted in McGregor and Nurmagomedov’s legendary clash. The rivalry between the Irish superstar McGregor and the undefeated Dagestani lightweight, Khabib, has left an indelible mark on the sport. With Umar being Khabib’s cousin and sharing the same training ground as the UFC Hall of Famer, and O’Malley’s Irish heritage, the narrative seems ripe for a symbolic rematch through their potential fight. O’Malley elaborated on this point, highlighting the promotional angle that could be played up due to his Irish name and Umar’s connection to the Nurmagomedov legacy.
Umar Nurmagomedov, meanwhile, has his own views on O’Malley’s upcoming fights. He predicted that O’Malley would easily handle Marlon Vera in their UFC 299 title fight, provided O’Malley doesn’t succumb to injury as he did in their first encounter. Umar’s comments came ahead of his own fight, indicating his confidence in O’Malley’s abilities.
The betting odds also seem to favor the American fighter. Sportsbooks have positioned O’Malley as the favorite in the matchup against Vera, with Bodog listing him at -210 compared to Vera’s +170 as the underdog. This numerical advantage underscores the faith that the betting world places in O’Malley’s championship credentials.
