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Sean O'Malley is hoping to milk the iconic UFC rivalry of Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov if he is ever to lock horns with Umar Nurmagomedov in the octagon.
The Dagestani is one of the most promising contenders in the bantamweight division. However, 'Sugar' is convinced that the No.13 ranked contender doesn't command the necessary power for that fight to make sense.
Despite this assessment, during a recent interview with Brett Okamoto of ESPN MMA, the bantamweight champion opined that he might yet entertain the fight owing to the opportunity of cashing in on the legacy of McGregor and Nurmagomedov's iconic bout.
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The rivalry between the Irishman and undefeated Dagestani lightweight legend is one of the most notable feuds in the history of the sport.
Umar is 'The Eagle's' cousin and trains out of the same gym as the UFC Hall of Famer.
Meanwhile, 'Suagr's' surname, O'Malley, is a common Irish name. Couple that with the fact that he shares Irish heritage from his grandmother's side, the Montana native believes it'll be enough to liken him to 'The Notorious' and market a potential fight against Umar as a symbolic rerun of McGregor vs. Nurmagomedov.
Speaking to Okamoto, O'Malley said:
"Umar isn't a star at all... Umar is a potential superstar. Literally, because he has the last name Nurmagomedov... He has the last name Nurmagomedov. He is Russian. He has potential because of that... I feel like just with the name and the skill of the UFC being able to promote certain people, and he comes from that gym and Khabib be in his corner, O'Malley Irish, it's there, there is something there. If he can become a star with that, that is a fight I want too."
Catch Sean O'Malley's comments below (18:15):
Umar Nurmagomedov predicts Sean O'Malley vs. Marlon Vera
Umar Nurmagomedov believes Sean O'Malley will make light work of Marlon Vera in their UFC 299 title fight.
Speaking to the media ahead of his fight last weekend, the Russian opined that 'Sugar' will breeze through his opponent given that he does not end up getting injured like in his first fight against 'Chito'.
Catch Umar Nurmagomedov's comments about Sean O'Malley below (5:35):
The money lines also favor the Amercian. According to Bodog, the reigning champion is a -210 favorite over the challenger (+170 underdog) for the matchup.
