Sean O’Malley took aim at Dominick Cruz for his placement on the UFC 269 card.
O’Malley (14-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) will open up the UFC 269 main card on Dec. 11 when he faces Raulian Paiva. Cruz (23-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) finds himself on the prelims of a pay-per-view card for the second straight time and the third time overall when he takes on Pedro Munhoz.
Although the former UFC bantamweight champion previously claimed that he couldn’t care less that he fought Casey Kenney on the UFC 259 prelims, O’Malley thinks otherwise. He agrees with Cruz’s point on the pay being the same regardless, but can’t imagine that with his name and accolades, that he’d be content with the third slot on the televised prelims.
“(Cruz) messed up,” O’Malley said in an interview with “The Schmo.” “I called him and Pedro Munhoz (out) and now they’re on the prelims. I guess it doesn’t really matter. They’re going to get paid the same, whether they’re on the main card or the prelims. I’m going to get paid the same whether I’m opening up the main card or the prelims. So, as far as making money-wise, it doesn’t really matter. We’re getting paid the same. But for your ego, that’s got to hurt.
“You’re being talked about one of the best bantamweights ever and you’re on the prelims. I don’t even know if he’s headlining the prelims. Prelim Pedro vs. Dominick, it just makes sense down there. I haven’t talked to anybody that’s super excited for that fight. They’re both top 10, I’m pretty sure. Me and Paiva aren’t even ranked and we’re opening up the main card, so I think it just goes to show I’m the unranked champ.”
O’Malley’s past six fights have been on pay-per-view cards with five of them on the main card. In his most recent outing at UFC 264 in July, he put a beating on tough newcomer Kris Moutinho, earning the “Fight of the Night” honors.
Sean O’Malley: Dominick Cruz’s ego has to hurt for being on UFC 269 prelims