Ilia Topuria shuts down talk of potential Sean O'Malley clash in future: "He’s a world champion, I respect him, but he has nothing to do with me"
Ilia Topuria recently shut down talks of a potential champion vs. champion bout against Sean O'Malley as he doesn't believe it makes too much sense. He noted that he believes he is levels above the bantamweight champion and would be very confident with his chances.
The UFC champions have been linked to a potential bout for quite some time as 'Suga' expressed interest in eventually moving up to 145 pounds and challenging 'El Matador'. A bout materializing would depend on whether they can successfully retain their respective championship as well as the public demand.
Championship Rounds tweeted a clip from the reigning featherweight champion's interview with French outlet La Seur, where he claimed that he's not interested in fighting 'Suga'. Topuria noted that he respects O'Malley, but mentioned that a bout between the two wouldn't be competitive. He said:
"I can do with him [O'Malley] whatever I want. I can just play with him. Like, how [does] he want me to finish him? That's like the same question I ask all the guys that I'm facing. I'm like, 'Just tell me, how [do] you want me to finish you?' And I could do that...He's a world champion, I respect him, but he has nothing to do with me."
Check out Ilia Topuria's comments below:
Ilia Topuria heaps praise on Sean O'Malley
Despite his thoughts on what would transpire in a hypothetical bout, Ilia Topuria recently heaped praise on Sean O'Malley.
During an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA's Andrew Whitelaw, the reigning UFC featherweight champion mentioned that he has a lot of respect for how 'Suga' continues to become a bigger star in the United States. He said:
"I'm impressed [with O'Malley]. He's doing a great, amazing job. He's becoming bigger and bigger in the sport. He's a big star in the United States. Even as a fighter, I like his fight style too. I like his movements. Everything he does, he's a showman, right? I like him, he's doing a great job." [7:06 - 7:31]
Check out the full Sportskeeda MMA exclusive with Ilia Topuria below: