LAS VEGAS – Raulian Paiva acknowledges that Sean O’Malley has looked good, but not against everybody.
Paiva (21-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) meets O’Malley (14-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 269 main card opener at T-Mobile Arena, a big spot for the 26-year-old Brazilian.
He’s taking on one of the most popular fighters on the roster but doesn’t think O’Malley has proven himself against the elite just yet.
“He’s got a lot of skill and he can be a threat and a good fighter against certain fighters,” Paiva told reporters, including MMA Junkie, through an interpreter during Wednesday’s media day at the UFC Apex. “But with all due respect, I don’t see a threat because even though he has the skills I have, he’s a young guy and he’s got a lot of energy, but I have more.
“My matchup against his is even stronger, and I think I feel more comfortable about the abilities I have and my skills compared to his. So yes, great fighter, but I do think I come out on top on that tale of the tape.”
Paiva has won three straight, most recently coming up big as an underdog against O’Malley’s teammate Kyler Phillips in a “Fight of the Night” war. So the thought of being the betting underdog is nothing new for Paiva, and he’s relishing the opportunity to score another upset.
“This has happened a lot in my life actually,” Paiva said. “If you think of the Phillips fight and the ones before, I was an underdog, so to me, it’s nothing new. I would have as an advice to people that are putting their money – I shut them up by the way by winning those fights, so my advice to people who are thinking about betting on O’Malley would be save your money. Don’t bet on him.”
The UFC 269 main card streams on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and early prelims on ESPN+.
To see the full interview with Paiva, check out the video above.
Raulian Paiva says don’t bet on Sean O’Malley: He can be a threat against certain fighters
