Ilia Topuria is greater than keen to present Sean O’Malley an opportunity to change into a two-division UFC champion.
Forward of his scheduled bantamweight title protection towards Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306 on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas, O’Malley (18-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) acknowledged, if victorious, he’s fascinated with shifting as much as featherweight to problem the winner of Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) vs. Max Holloway, who meet for the featherweight strap at UFC 308 on Oct. 26 in Abu Dhabi.
Topuria, 27, stated he’d gladly settle for that matchup if introduced, and like has so boldly predicted for his conflict with Holloway, he thinks O’Malley could be gentle work.
“When he pronounce these sort of issues like, ‘If I win,’ it’s as a result of he’s not very assured about himself,” Topuria informed MMA Junkie. “Initially, he has a really powerful matchup forward. If he does it, why not? Why not? I might like to have that battle. It’s like, thanks God. For everybody it’s going to be so enormous. Like, ‘Ilia is preventing Max or he’s preventing Sean O’Malley.’ However in actuality, I do know that they each suck. I can do with them no matter I wish to do. I can do it with each of them. I can beat them each in the identical evening. No drawback.”
O’Malley is simply the most recent in a protracted line of names who’ve expressed a need to chase title glory in two weight lessons. Topuria has these ambitions himself, he stated, however desires to attend till the timing is correct go after the light-weight strap.
“To be sincere I might do it after the Volkanovski battle, however I made a decision to maintain preventing in 145 and to defend my belt,” Topuria stated. “Each time it comes, I might be prepared. After this one, after the battle with Max Holloway as soon as I knock him out, perhaps the UFC will name me and inform me that they need me to maneuver as much as 155, and I might be very pleased with that call. If not, I’ll maintain defending my belt, maintain doing my job. If anybody desires to check himself, I might be there. In 145, 155, 170 – I don’t care. I’m a fighter. And I’m the most effective fighter on this planet. I’m not the common stage of fighter.”
If reigning 155-pound champion Islam Makhachev remains to be the person in that division if the time comes for Topuria so as to add 10 kilos to his body, he stated his stage of confidence in that battle – like all others – could be fairly excessive.
“I respect Makhachev,” Topuria stated. “I do know what it takes to get inside that cage. I do know all of the sacrifices an individual has to make to go inside that octagon. I respect him, however there’s ranges. I really feel I symbolize the brand new era of combined martial arts. I deliver a battle fashion that nobody has, and nobody had. I’m simply enhancing the sport. I’m simply the brand new face of the sport. It’s only a matter of time till everybody will notice this.”
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