Sean O’Malley could be going the Conor McGregor route in his career. But will it cost him dearly? The bantamweight champion has shown eagerness to move onto a different form of the fight. After defeating Aljamain Sterling and taking the title away from him, ‘Suga’ wants more.
The fighter has previously voiced his desire to move on to boxing. Perhaps being at the top of his division inside the cage wasn’t enough for him. Now, he sets his eyes on the ring but someone who fights and dominates the boxing world just didn’t think that O’Malley’s ideas were right.
Sean O’Malley was discouraged from moving to boxing
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In a recent conversation with The MMA Hour’s Ariel Helwani, boxing superstar and champion Devin Haney talked about all things boxing. The boxer is undisputed and has a clean record of 30-o. He’s held multiple titles over the years at the age of only 24.
The young talent is also aware of the interesting transfers from MMA to boxing. However, when asked about Sean O’Malley’s possible change-up, Haney was not impressed. In fact, he didn’t even think ‘Suga’ would be much of a challenge.
“It’s not the best thing for Sean O’Malley to get in the boxing ring with me,” said Haney. “It won’t be competitive. I respect him in the cage, what he does in the cage you know, he’s a hell of a fighter in the cage. When you step into that square circle, the boxing ring, it’s a total different thing.”
Devin Haney talks Sean O'Malley.#TheMMAHour pic.twitter.com/GxTTOwkUE8
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) October 23, 2023
Fans could argue and argue about the same. The truth is, Haney makes a good point. When it comes to boxing, MMA fighters may struggle with the lack of options they find themselves with suddenly. You can’t use kicks and you can’t grapple either. Just forget about submission moves. It can be frustrating, just ask Dillon Danis. So perhaps, O’Malley could wait and train a bit more before getting into the ring. However, the star is still considering it.
What did O’Malley say after defeating ‘Aljo’?
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O’Malley tore down Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292. A stellar knockout victory in the second round of the match helped him take away Sterling’s crown. Right after his victory, O’Malley opened up about his future plans at the post-fight press conference.
“I also wouldn’t mind knocking out Gervonta Davis, and I know people are going to say, you want to be Conor? I’m telling you, that fight is going to happen,” said O’Malley.
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Gervonta Davis is yet another champion with multiple titles to his name in multiple weight classes. A fight between him and O’Malley would certainly be worth watching. However, for Haney, it’s just not enough. Would you pay for a fight between the two? Let us know in the comments.
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