"His skinny body couldn't handle the power doubles" - Ricky Simon fires shots at Sean O'Malley, claims he's a terrible matchup for 'Sugar'
Ricky Simon has once again found himself calling out Sean O'Malley. Both bantamweights have upcoming fights, but the idea of the two rising contenders facing off against each other has become a fan-favorite matchup in recent months.
Simon is currently ranked No.12 in the UFC bantamweight rankings. He will go up against No.14-ranked Jack Shore on July 16. Meanwhile, O'Malley is the No.13 ranked bantamweight, and he will be fighting No.10-ranked Pedro Munhoz on July 2.
Watch Ricky Simon finish Raphael Assuncao last time out below:
Welcome to the top 15 Ricky Simon #UFCVegas45
https://t.co/Dhwr3S7xOy
After calling out O'Malley at the end of last year, Simon felt like 'Sugar' was avoiding the fight because of his superior wrestling. During a recent interview with LowKick MMA, he doubled down on that statement by saying:
"He don't wanna deal with the wrestling. His skinny body couldn't handle the power doubles for sure... I'm just such a bad matchup for him at this stage of his career that he's not going to take the fight. Which is, you know, all right, if you wanna play your way to the title, that's all on you, but don't be saying my name and acting like you wanna fight me..."
If both fighters win their upcoming fights, this matchup could very likely happen next, especially considering 'Sugar' may need a step up in competition depending on how good Munhoz looks on July 2.
Simon is young, hungry, and looking to capitalize on a stylistic advantage against a ranked fighter with a huge fanbase. With a win against the ATT Portland product, O'Malley could excel his popularity with legitimate hopes for a future title shot.
Watch the full Ricky Simon interview below:
Ricky Simon breaks down Sean O'Malley vs. Pedro Munhoz
Before thinking about his next fight, O'Malley needs to beat a tough veteran in Munhoz. In his only UFC loss, 'Sugar' struggled with Marlon Vera's leg kicks, which his upcoming opponent specializes in.
Watch the ending to Sean O'Malley vs. Marlon Vera below:
Chito Vera handed Sean O'Malley his 1st loss a year ago today . Still would like to see a rematch between these 2. @chitoveraUFC
https://t.co/v8OcOZxXuG
With that said, 'The Young Punisher' has lost two in a row and could get overwhelmed by the creative striking of O'Malley. During the same interview, Simon broke down the bantamweight matchup by saying:
"It's interesting because O'Malley has the length, and he has that slick standup, but Pedro has a nice high guard and a really nice low kick. And we know O'Malley can't take that low kick, so it's gonna be fun.
O'Malley has marketed himself to a favorable position in the MMA world. Fighters continue to call him out, and his career path is under control. With a win against Munhoz, 'Sugar' could crack the top 10 with several options for his next fight, including the always dangerous Simon.