UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley has been candid about a nightmare he had, which involved fighting reigning lightweight king Islam Makhachev. During a recent episode of the TimboSugarShow with Bryan Callen as a guest, O’Malley opened up about his dream and admiration for Makhachev’s impressive fighting skills. He even praised the Dagestani fighter for his well-rounded and proficient abilities, emphasizing that he was relieved when he woke up from the nightmare.
Islam Makhachev is currently one of the biggest names on the UFC roster, holding the lightweight championship since 2015. He has not lost a fight during this time and has solidified his position as the UFC’s number one pound-for-pound ranked fighter last year. On the other hand, Sean O’Malley is preparing for a highly anticipated rematch against Marlon Vera at UFC 299 in March, hoping to avenge his previous defeat at UFC 252.
During their first encounter, Vera managed to compromise O’Malley’s leg with a calf kick, leading to his victory via ground and pound. O’Malley has since dismissed the outcome on multiple occasions, citing the nature of the loss. As he gears up for the rematch, O’Malley is determined to secure a win over the Ecuadorian fighter.
Interestingly, O’Malley mentioned during an interview with Shakiel Mahjouri that he wants to replicate Israel Adesanya’s performance against Alex Pereira at UFC 287. Adesanya emerged victorious in their MMA rematch, defeating ‘Poatan’ via KO and reclaiming the middleweight title. O’Malley aims to do the same against ‘Chito’ in their rematch and rewrite history.
Overall, Sean O’Malley’s candid conversation revealed his admiration for Islam Makhachev and his determination to avenge his previous loss against Marlon Vera. With renewed motivation and a desire to follow in Adesanya’s footsteps, the UFC bantamweight champion is focused on proving himself in the upcoming bout.
