Chael Sonnen believes Sean O'Malley should be ranked No.6 in the bantamweight division
Sean O'Malley has frequently been hailed as one of the most talented strikers in the UFC. So much so that Chael Sonnen believes he should be ranked at No. 6 in the UFC's bantamweight division regardless of not having fought ranked opponents yet.
'Suga' boasts 15 wins and 1 loss that he conceded against Marlon Vera by way of TKO back in August 2020 at UFC 252.
Having found his way back to winning ways with three fights on the trot, Sean O'Malley has earned the respect of Chael Sonnen, who rates him as one of the best fighters in the division. Here's what he had to say about O'Malley in a video that he recently posted to his YouTube channel:
"I will tell you where he should be ranked. The correct answer is six. Sean O'Malley should be ranked number six in the world. They won't put him there because he didn't beat anybody ranked. Now the one thing about the rankings committee is they are going to fiercely adhere to the rules they make up on the spot it's ridiculous. I don't care in the least," said Chael Sonnen.
Catch Chael Sonnen's thoughts about Sean O'Malley right here:
Sean O'Malley is no longer the unranked champ
The previously self-proclaimed unranked champion is no longer in a position to call himself that as he is now in the rankings. In the updated rankings, Sean O'Malley was listed at No. 13, leapfrogging the likes of Song Yadong and Cody Stamann.
Look who's finally joined the rankings.. 👀
@SugaSeanMMA comes in at 1️⃣3️⃣ - now who next? https://t.co/Ou1fUZK6qe
O'Malley, however, previously held that he did not want to fight ranked opponents until the UFC compensated him appropriately. However, with his inclusion into the list of ranked fighters, it seems like his upcoming fights in the UFC will get progressively harder. What's more, this development only builds on his stock in the UFC and will likely lead to greater opportunities and deals in the future.
The MMA Lab product, who has been rather impressive in his outings against unranked opponents, will soon have to hold his own against some of the biggest names in the division.