UFC bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley claims he’s had preliminary discussions with the UFC brass about a future boxing match against Ryan Garcia, and it’s not out of the realm of possibility.
Garcia has captured the attention of the combat sports world in recent days after he concluded an erratic and concerning build to his boxing match against Devin Haney with a shocking majority decision victory Saturday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Garcia’s performance, in which he scored three knockdowns on Haney, turned him from a seemingly toxic force to a desirable matchup for many. That includes O’Malley, who has been beating the drum for a future fight against Garcia, and thinks that pursuit is now only more realistic.
“A boxing fight’s possible, for sure,” O’Malley said on Monday’s episode of the “TimboSugarShow” podcast. “I’m not there yet. I’ve still got to become bigger. Two more f*cking sick performances, then we’re talking about being able to do it.”
Another Mayweather vs. McGregor?
Conor McGregor broke barriers in August 2017 while, as two-division UFC champion, he arranged a crossover fight against Floyd Mayweather. The UFC was active in the promotion of the fight and took a cut of McGregor’s earnings, but it was a career and life-changing opportunity for “The Notorious” that has opened doors for numerous athletes to call for crossover fights.
The UFC has yet to oblige in active participation in anything like Mayweather vs. McGregor since then, with UFC CEO Dana White repeatedly stating he wants his fighters to stay in their respective sport. There may be some wiggle room for O’Malley, though, who said conversations with UFC power players have led him to believe a fight with Garcia isn’t a pipe dream.
“They told me, ‘You can do a boxing fight, 100 percent, if it makes us enough money,'” O’Malley revealed. “The option is there. It just has to be able to make enough money. But Ryan being a f*cking freak like that, you need two A-sides to make a f*cking Floyd vs. Conor fight.”
Dvalishvili showdown on delay
For now, though, O’Malley is focused on what’s next in his own career, and that’s a title defense against Merab Dvalishvili. He wants the matchup booked as soon as possible but said the timing of the UFC schedule is working against him.
“I’m trying to get it booked ASAP,” O’Malley said. “The only issue is some of the next pay-per-views aren’t in the country, and I’m not fighting out of the country. They have other people to take other places. But I’m ready to go. I’m wanting to get the fight booked ASAP.
“I just want to hit him with that knee and, boom, flatline him.”
