"It's a win-win for UFC" - Sean O'Malley advocates for 1-fight-contract for Dillon Danis against Shavkat Rakhmonov
Sean O'Malley is among several MMA fighters who has parlayed his popularity and name value into creating a YouTube podcast. The reigning UFC bantamweight champion is among the most consistent of podcasters compared to his fellow roster-mates, and often touches on the topic of the day.
Last weekend, Dillon Danis faced Logan Paul in a boxing match that was defined by the personal enmity between both men. Danis frequently took aim at his foe's fiancée in the buildup of their bout. However, come fight night, he lost a tedious but lopsided boxing match via disqualification after trying to guillotine Paul.
After the disastrous end to his bout, the former Bellator took to social media to campaign for a UFC contract. While there has been no official word from the promotion regarding the matter, Sean O'Malley has offered his opinion (at 12:42 minutes) on who Danis should face if he does sign with UFC:
"I mean, he's really pushing to get into the UFC. I was telling Tim, I'm like 'it's kind of a win-win for UFC, for Dana.' Sign him for a one fight. Give him your toughest guy. If he goes out there and wins, you have a star. If he goes out there and gets absolutely turded on, it's viral, it's going everywhere. Give him Rakhmon. Give him just a killer."
Given Shavkat Rakhmonov's unbeaten record, well-rounded skill-set and 100% finishing rate, it is unlikely that Danis would accept such a contract. However, Sean O'Malley opines that it will either make Dillon Danis a star if he wins, or produce a viral moment if he loses, which could in turn benefit Rakhmonov.
Sean O'Malley's thoughts on fighting Alexander Volkanovski
After capturing the bantamweight title from Aljamain Sterling, Sean O'Malley became a star for the promotion. While he maintained the usual tradition of newly minted champions calling for lucrative boxing matches with established stars of 'The Sweet Science,' what he didn't do was call for champ-champ status.
Instead, he criticized Aljamain Sterling's prior talk about moving up in weight to face Alexander Volkanovski, who 'Sugar' recognized as an extremely difficult matchup that he is currently wary of.