After Sean O’Malley handles his upcoming bout with Merab Dvalishvili, he’s eyeing a crossover fight with boxing sensation Ryan Garcia.
Ryan Garcia, also known as ‘King Ryan’, is in high demand following a knockout performance against WBC super lightweight world champion Devin Haney in Brooklyn.
Since then, numerous boxers like Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis, Jaron Ennis, Conor Benn, and Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz have expressed interest in fighting him.
Adding to that list is UFC bantamweight world champion Sean O’Malley. On social media, ‘Sugar’ mentioned that his plan, following his next title defense against the formidable Georgian contender Merab Dvalishvili, is to step into the ring with Ryan Garcia.
“After I KO Merab I’’m boxing Ryan,” O’Malley posted on X, according to Low Kick MMA.
Given the UFC’s previous decision to part ways with Francis Ngannou rather than permit him to box while under UFC contract, it seems highly unlikely that Dana White would allow O’Malley to take on one of today’s top boxers while still signed with the UFC.
Besides facing a challenging opponent in Dvalishvili, Sean O’Malley has a list of potential contenders at 135 lbs.
A likely bout between Cory Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov is expected to determine the division’s next title challenger. Deiveson Figueiredo is also making strides in the bantamweight division after his success at flyweight.
Moreover, Petr Yan recently returned to winning ways at UFC 299 with a significant victory over Song Yadong in the main card opener.
Clearly, there are ample opportunities to keep O’Malley engaged in MMA without chasing a boxing match with the latest hot topic.
