Sean O’Malley became a top star in the UFC by beating Aljamain Sterling to win the bantamweight championship at UFC 292. It has been a rapid rise to the top for the sugar show with performances like Saturdays being the reason why. The bantamweight division is among the most stacked in the UFC, with absolute killers in the rankings. Challengers are waiting in line to face O’Malley next. However, one of the greatest fighters in UFC history, Henry Cejudo, has called his shot to be next.
‘Suga’ Sean O’Malley’s Climb To The Top
Sean O’Malley is known for his exciting style that produces a lot of knockouts. The early days of his career have been very reminiscent of Conor McGregor as they both talked a big game but backed it up. Coming from the Dana White Contender Series, there has always been a lot of hype around O’Malley’s potential. It is safe to say he has proved all his doubters wrong by reaching the pinnacle of the sport. O’Malley has a professional record of 17-1 with one no-contest and 12 knockouts. ‘Suga’ has wins over fighters like Peter Yan and was beating Pedro Munhoz before it was ruled a no-contest. It proves that O’Malley’s title win wasn’t a flash in the pan as he can see off the top contenders in the division. Whoever O’Malley fights next, there will be a lot of intrigue as he is a famous fighter in the company.
Does Henry Cejudo Deserve A Title Shot
As previously stated, Cejudo is one of the greatest fighters the sport has ever seen. He has an incredible pedigree as he is Olympic gold medalist and is a former double champion. He has beaten a lot of legendary fighters throughout his career, including Dominick Cruz, Demetrious Johnson, and T.J. Dillashaw. After a few years away from the sport, he returned to fighting to challenge then-champion Sterling. However, the former champion lost a competitive fight but still looks to recapture the crown he never lost. A matchup with O’Malley would be intriguing as it is a true clash of styles, with Cejudo being great on the ground and the champion being grand on the feet. Cejudo took to X, stating he wanted to be O’Malley’s first challenger.
“@SugaSeanMMA Congrats on landing a punch. Get ready to go down faster than Logan Paul’s fiancé in the bathroom of The ESPY’s. SIGN the Contract Island Boy. @danawhite,”
If Not Cejudo, Then Who
O’Malley has many exciting options if the fight with Cejudo doesn’t happen next. Firstly, you have the rematch with Sterling, as it would be interesting to see what adjustments both fighters would make. You could also have a rematch with Marlon Vera, as he is the only person to have been victorious over O’Malley. Finally, competitors like Cory Sandhagen and Merab Dvalishvilli have been on a great run recently and deserve a shot at the title.
O’Malley is only 28 and will look to defend his belt many times to cement himself as one of the greatest.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
