"I just beat him, it's not a big fight" - Sean O'Malley dismisses UFC rematch rumors against Pedro Munhoz
Sean O’Malley is seemingly uninterested in a rematch against Pedro Munhoz. O’Malley faced Munhoz in a highly-anticipated fight at UFC 276 on July 2.
The matchup ended in controversial fashion, as Munhoz was unable to continue after an eye poke by O’Malley in round two. The fight’s official verdict was an NC (No Contest). Given the manner in which the closely-contested bout ended, it's being speculated that an immediate rematch between them could be on the cards.
What a fight this could've been on another day...
Run it back? #UFC276 https://t.co/f4HAAltBe3
In an edition of the Full Send Podcast, ‘Sugar’ was asked about the possibility of him facing Pedro Munhoz in a rematch. Shooting down the chances of that happening, Sean O’Malley stated:
“No, ‘cause I just beat him. And it’s not a big fight. I think everyone looks at that fight, or most people look at that fight, like I was piecing him up. I was getting the better of him. That’s a win, at least in my eyes. I don’t really care what other people think. So, that’s kind of how I feel about that fight. But moving forward, yeah, we’ll see who’s next, talk to UFC soon, and see.”
The 27-year-old highlighted that most fighters in the UFC bantamweight division already have their next fights booked. ‘Sugar’ indicated that a few notable bantamweight matchups are set to transpire in September and December in Las Vegas and in November at MSG (Madison Square Garden) in New York. O’Malley said:
“So, those are all potential ones. My birthday’s in October, so if I can fight in September, might be kind of fire.”
Watch O’Malley discuss the topic at 58:26 in the video below:
Teddy Atlas draws parallels between Sean O’Malley and Conor McGregor’s UFC superstardom
Presently, it’s unclear whether the O’Malley-Munhoz rematch will materialize next or if the fan-favorite ‘Sugar’ would be booked to fight other potential opponents such as the returning Henry Cejudo.
Speaking of which, widely-revered boxing trainer and analyst Teddy Atlas recently weighed in on Sean O’Malley’s popularity in the UFC and the sport of MMA as a whole. In an edition of The Fight with Teddy Atlas podcast, Atlas compared O’Malley’s success to that of combat sports megastar Conor McGregor.
Atlas suggested that O’Malley’s rise in MMA has been similar to that of McGregor. Furthermore, he opined that, akin to ‘The Notorious,’ O’Malley too could eventually transcend MMA and achieve mainstream success across different realms of popular culture. Atlas said:
"His style, his flamboyance, I mean it looks like he has the package. You know... his athleticism, how sensational he can be in that ring at times."
Check out Atlas’ comments in the video below: