"It's good for his brand" - Michael Bisping reacts to Sean O'Malley saying he's 'the uncrowned champ' of the UFC bantamweight division
Michael Bisping has given his thoughts on Sean O’Malley claiming he’s the uncrowned UFC bantamweight champion.
Ever since stepping into the UFC octagon four years ago, Sean O’Malley has been one of the most exciting - and divisive - fighters in the game.
The man known as 'Sugar' is an incredibly marketable fighter and while he hasn’t always had things his own way in the promotion, he’s definitely still someone to keep an eye on as the electric bantamweight division continues to heat up.
After the recent comments Sean O'Malley made towards Dominick Cruz regarding his status as the “uncrowned” bantamweight champ, Michael Bisping had some thoughts on the prospect and his future.
On a recent episode of his Believe You Me podcast, 'The Count' said:
“Sean O’Malley is the young upstart, isn’t he. He’s got flair, everything we just said about Colby Covington applies to Sean O’Malley in terms of his star quality. I don’t think O’Malley is one of these guys who is preparing lines or anything like that, but he does have a natural star quality, a watchability to him. On top of it, inside the octagon, the guy can f***ing fight. Yes, of course, he’s yet to fight somebody that’s ranked or one of the higher rankings, but still, he’s fighting the people that the UFC are giving him. He’s putting on great performances, he’s entertaining people in a big way, but yeah. It’s good for his brand to talk a little s**t at Dominick Cruz, I guess.”
Catch Michael Bisping's Believe You Me podcast below:
Both Dominick Cruz and Sean O’Malley, ironically enough, will be in action next weekend.
What’s next for Sean O’Malley in the UFC?
Sean O’Malley will attempt to continue his rise to prominence at 135 pounds when he steps into the cage at UFC 269.
He’ll be doing so against Raulian Paiva and while some feel like it’s time for him to really start pushing towards the top 10 and beyond, the UFC is taking their time.
They want to make sure Sean O’Malley is ready before throwing him in there against another elite guy. After all, we all remember what happened when he came face to face with Marlon 'Chito' Vera.