Ryan Garcia's current mental state may cost him potential Sean O'Malley fight as 'Sugar' eyes mega boxing fight with Floyd Mayweather
Sean O'Malley has seemingly lost enthusiasm for a potential boxing match with Ryan Garcia and is now directing his attention toward Floyd Mayweather.
The reigning bantamweight champion successfully retained his title in the headline bout of UFC 299 last Saturday in Miami, Florida, securing a commanding unanimous decision victory over his former adversary Marlon Vera.
'Sugar' is exuding confidence and feeling optimistic about his future options following his recent victory. Not long ago, O'Malley flirted with the notion of stepping into the squared circle, teasing potential showdowns with Garcia and Gervonta Davis. However, his ambitions are now reaching even greater heights beyond those prospective matchups.
During his recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, O'Malley expressed a waning interest in facing 'KingRy', attributing it to the former interim WBC lightweight champion's recent obnoxious behavior:
"I just think mentally that kid is not where he needs to be. We’ll see how he looks against Devin Haney and kind of go from there. I feel like an MMA fight is just so unrealistic. There’s zero percent chance he would ever even make it to that fight."
He added:
"If anything would happen, it would be boxing. There’s big fights still up there. Floyd is still kicking. Floyd’s still running around the boxing room. I might just skip Ryan, I might skip Gervonta and go straight to the big dog."
Check out Sean O'Malley's comments below:
Garcia's recent actions have sparked concern within the combat sports community. Allegations of substance abuse, coupled with his questionable behavior and disconcerting social media posts, have fueled widespread uneasiness. In an interview with Helwani, 'KingRy' confidently asserted that he could easily defeat O'Malley in an MMA fight.
Sean O'Malley favors Ilia Topuria fight despite Merab Dvalishvili's bantamweight dominance
Sean O'Malley is eagerly considering a move up a weight class for a potential showdown with Ilia Topuria.
After his victory over Marlon Vera at UFC 299, 'Sugar' boldly challenged the newly crowned featherweight champion during his post-fight octagon interview, despite Merab Dvalishvili being present octagon-side.
O'Malley acknowledged 'The Machine' as a potential opponent; however, he unequivocally stated his intentions, much to the disappointment of numerous fans, including the No. 1 bantamweight contender himself.
During the same interview with Ariel Helwani, O'Malley emphasized that potentially fighting 'El Matador' next is all about boosting his star power:
"There's certain people that you kind of just want to fight. Ilia's that guy. He's also done a really good job. He's somewhat of a star... I'd say he's a star. He's not a superstar, but he's close. It takes two big names to make a massive fight. I've been very vocal since I've been in the UFC that my goal is to get the massive fights."
Check out Sean O'Malley's comments below: