It appears bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley is headed for another UFC headliner.
O’Malley (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) captured the 135-pound title by knocking out Aljamain Sterling in the UFC 292 main event in August. O’Malley called for Marlon Vera to be his first title defense, but says it likely won’t happen this year.
With UFC 295 on Nov. 11 in New York and UFC 296 on Dec. 11 in Las Vegas already filling up, “The Suga Show” sees 2024 as a more realistic date for his return.
“I really, really did truly want to fight in December,” O’Malley said on a recent episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience. “I called out ‘Chito’ for December, but then I talked to the UFC and they kind of already had – they were trying to get Colby (Covington) and Leon (Edwards) together. I asked them, and they want me to main event my own show, which I think is f*cking dope. I’m down with that.”
Sterling is currently campaigning for a rematch, as well as No. 1 contender Merab Dvalishvili waiting for his shot. But O’Malley hopes to get his wish of running things back with Vera, who handed him his lone-career loss in August 2020.
“I’m really hoping (the UFC) f*cking just say, ‘Let’s f*cking do it,’” O’Malley said.
UFC 300 is coming up, but O’Malley anticipates to fight earlier than that.
“I think UFC 300 is in April,” O’Malley said. “That would be a sweet card to be on, but … I’m going to guess (I’ll be back) before that, before UFC 300.”
O’Malley was a big underdog against Sterling, but delivered in perhaps his best-career performance. He’s ready to prove his worth by becoming a defending champion.
“I’ve still got to go out there and prove it,” O’Malley said. ‘I think once you become champ, it’s like, are you champ? You’ve got to go defend the belt. You’ve got to defend the f*cking belt, so I’m looking forward to that.”
Sean O’Malley eyes early 2024 return, says UFC wants him to headline his own show
