"I had a nightmare that I had to fight him" - Sean O'Malley delves deep into the "scary" factor of Islam Makhachev
Sean O'Malley has opened up about a nightmare he had wherein he had to fight Islam Makhachev.
During a recent episode of the TimboSugarShow with Bryan Callen as a guest, O'Malley was asked to name a fighter who impresses him. Responding to the question, the UFC bantamweight champion named the reigning lightweight king, Makhachev.
O'Malley revealed that he once had a nightmare about fighting Makhachev and praised the Dagestani for his skills. He said:
"I'd say Islam. Islam is so f**king scary. I had a nightmare that I had to fight him. I woke up and I was like, 'Thank god, it wasn't real because I'll knock that motherf**ker out.' No actually, I was just like, 'Oh f**k...' He's so well rounded, skilled as f**k."
Catch Sean O'Malley's comments about Islam Makhachev below (15:46):
Makhachev is currently one of the biggest names on the UFC roster. He hasn't lost a fight since 2015 and currently holds the UFC lightweight championship. Moreover, he is the UFC's number one pound-for-pound ranked fighter, a position he solidified last year.
Sean O'Malley wants to channel his inner Israel Adesanya for his bout against Marlon Vera
Sean O'Malley is set to face Marlon Vera in a highly anticipated rematch at UFC 299 in March. The two previously fought at UFC 252 when 'Chito' compromised O'Malley's leg after landing a calf kick that hit his opponent's peroneal nerve.
O'Malley was finished via ground-and-pound but has continued to dismiss his defeat on several occasions because of the nature of his loss. With the rematch now booked, 'Sugar' is motivated to secure a victory over the Ecuadorian.
Interestingly, O'Malley is hoping to replicate Israel Adesanya's performance against Alex Pereira at UFC 287 in Miami when Adesanya defeated 'Poatan' via KO in their MMA rematch to reclaim the middleweight title.
Speaking about it during an interview with Shakiel Mahjouri, the UFC bantamweight champion had this to say:
"[Israel Adesanya] knocked out Alex Pereira in their rematch [in Miami], you know what I mean? So I'm just gonna have to go out there and do the same thing. Knock 'Chito' out in the rematch, and rewrite history. It will be beautiful."
Catch Sean O'Malley's comments in the video below (2:30):