Sean O'Malley wants to become the UFC's latest double-champion before challenging boxing star Gervonta Davis.
O'Malley has recorded 15 wins in his MMA career with just one defeat coming against Marlon Vera back in August 2020 after being knocked out in the opening round. He will next face arguably the toughest test of his UFC pedigree to date when he takes on veteran Pedro Munhoz next weekend.
'Sugar' is confident that he will be able to knock out Davis in a maiden boxing appearance providing he can continue climbing the rankings ladder in the UFC. “I’m eventually gonna go up to ’45,” said O’Malley during a recent interview with Canal Encarada . “Before I do that, I have to become the bantamweight champion. It has to be done. I think I will, once I’m bantamweight champion, deserve and earn a title shot at ’45. I believe I can become double-champion.
“And then I do think, in the future, Gervonta Davis sounds like a big fight for me. I would love to go over to the boxing world. I know people love it, they hate it, they don’t want to talk about it. ‘MMA never beats boxers.’ But I’m in the entertainment business and I believe in my skills.
“I truly think that in four or five years, that if I’m double-champ, or if I’ve been the bantamweight, been the featherweight champ, and Gervonta Davis is still a superstar, there’s no reason I can’t go over there and perform for the fans in boxing and put his lights out, too and become the biggest combat sports athlete in the world.”
Conor McGregor has set precedent for fighters from the UFC to step in the boxing world having been defeated by Floyd Mayweather in a lucrative bout back in 2017. Since UFC champions Francis Ngannou and Kamaru Usman have talked up boxing appearances with Tyson Fury and Canelo Alvarez respectively.
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O'Malley remains considered one of the brightest young prospects in the UFC but has a long road until challenging for the title as he continues to climb up the rankings ladder. Aljimain Sterling currently holds the title belt in the division having defeated Petr Yan last time out.
And the American champion believes O'Malley will be a serious contender for his title in the future. “If I’m being honest, that guy’s really f******* good,” Sterling said about O’Malley on The Joe Rogan podcast . “I like his honesty and the way he breaks down fights and analyses it kind of reminds me of myself except he’s a little bit more brash about it.
"I feel like he might be a little bit weak though. I feel like if I grab that guy and put a body lock on that guy, I’d probably break his ribs and get a submission with a standing body lock. Just crunch his back like the Hulk. Something has to lack. You can’t have the power, the speed, the height, the leverage, you can’t have all those things."
