Sean O’Malley is eager to join the new venture launched by the UFC president. The former UFC bantamweight champion is gearing up for a crucial fight that will be significant in his quest to reclaim the 135-pound championship. After suffering back-to-back defeats to Merab Dvalishvili, O’Malley is set to face Song Yadong at UFC 324, which will serve as the co-main event for the Paramount+ debut on Saturday, following the postponement of Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes.
As O’Malley prepares for the event on January 24th, his focus remains firmly on the Octagon and regaining his title. However, he is also considering another upcoming event on Friday that might open doors for a future crossover opportunity.
Before UFC 324, all attention will be on Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing debut, an organization aiming to change the boxing world. The launch begins with the UFC Apex card featuring Callum Walsh vs. Carlos Ocampo. Despite Dana White’s well-known disdain for MMA fighters entering boxing, O’Malley expressed a strong desire to headline a Zuffa Boxing card in the future. He admitted he hasn’t yet spoken to the UFC about it because they’ve refused the idea, but he believes UFC athletes heading to Zuffa Boxing for interesting matchups is inevitable.
O’Malley said, “I would love to do that. I feel like I’m going to be headlining a Zuffa Boxing card one day. I’ve never talked to the UFC about it because they said no, but I see a time when UFC fighters will cross over to Zuffa Boxing.” He added, “I want to compete against real professional boxers on a Zuffa Boxing card someday.”
However, for O’Malley’s aspiration to become a reality, he would need to convince Dana White, who has expressed reluctance about UFC fighters transitioning to boxing. Speaking ahead of the Zuffa Boxing promotional debut, White emphasized that he has never wanted UFC fighters to crossover to boxing and remains firm on that stance.
Fan Take: This development is exciting for fight fans as it hints at the potential blending of MMA and boxing talent under one promotional umbrella, possibly creating fresh, high-stakes matchups. If UFC stars like O’Malley do cross over, it could revolutionize combat sports by broadening fighters’ horizons and offering fans new, thrilling entertainment.
