Bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley has an upcoming title defense scheduled for UFC 299, but he still had time to respond to a recent call-out by boxing star Ryan Garcia.
Sean O’Malley won the UFC Bantamweight Title in August 2023 after knocking out former champion Aljamain Sterling.
He then accepted a main event bout for UFC 299, setting up a rematch against Chito Vera, the only fighter to send O’Malley home in defeat. And this time, a title is on the line.
O’Malley has been focused on the Vera fight, as the two are hoping to put on a show for a sold-out Miami crowd. However, a boxing star has interrupted the “Suga Sean” camp with a challenge.
Sean O’Malley laughs off Ryan Garcia’s fight proposal
Ryan Garcia called out O’Malley recently, even telling UFC CEO Dana White that he would enter the octagon for the right price. Garcia said, “I will destroy Sean O’Malley in the UFC.”
O’Malley saw these comments and fired back with a response on Monday. “Brother, I would kill you within minutes. It’s just not even realistic. It’s crazy how stupid and delusional that is.
Sean O'Malley responds to Ryan Garcia's MMA callout 👀📰 https://t.co/g0yco11pWw pic.twitter.com/jFZSpvwRRX
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) February 27, 2024
“I could take him down and choke him, but I would kick him in the f****** body first. And I would kick his little sticks. I would do whatever the f*** I wanted.”
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
O’Malley continued, “I could box him with MMA gloves. It’s a different sport, just with those little MMA gloves. The distance is different.
“I could beat Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney in the same night, back to back in a fight.”
There’s clearly no love lost between the two fighters. Cross-sport super fights have become more prevalent in recent years, making an eventual scrum between O’Malley and Garcia possible.
However, to this point, the UFC has been hesitant to sign off on boxing stars entering the octagon. It’s been primarily boxing matches with MMA stars in the ring.
Garcia’s call out ignited rumors of a potential fight, and O’Malley’s comments further fanned the flame. But the likelihood of a match is not high, at least not in the near future.