Sean O’Malley would have liked to take a page from Chael Sonnen for his upcoming UFC 324 bout, but the promotion had other ideas.
Sonnen has suggested in the past that taking the easiest fight for the most amount of money is the way that a prizefighter should operate. He also questioned why the promotion went with O’Malley (18-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) to face Song Yadong at UFC 324.
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O’Malley knows Song (22-8-1 MMA, 11-3-1 UFC) doesn’t fit Sonnen’s risk-reward ideal, but he does like the stylistic matchup, and in the bigger picture, what a win could do for him down the road.
“He’s primarily a striker,” O’Malley said in a pre-fight interview with Paramount. “He has been doing a lot of judo, a lot of wrestling. He’s definitely going to mix it up and try to do that in this fight. But for the most part, he’s a striker. And I like this matchup. He’s gonna come out, try to mix it up a bit, but I do think this will be mostly a standup fight.”
O’Malley aims to bounce back from back-to-back title losses to Merab Dvalishvili. Prior to those setbacks, he fought the best the bantamweight division had to offer, including wins over current champion Petr Yan and ex-champ Aljamain Sterling.
Even though he’s discussed the idea that he may call it a career at the end of 2026, O’Malley knows his star power is still strong, but the results have to be there in the cage, too.
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“I’ve lost two fights in my career, both to the same guy – both to who just won Fighter of the Year,” O’Malley said. “My last four fights, three of them were world champions, Petr, Aljo, Merab. It’s like, I go out there and win, I’m probably one or two, maybe three top guys in the UFC as far as biggest names. So, you know, I just got to go out there and get the job done.”
Should the “Suga Show” get back on track at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Jan. 24, O’Malley sees plenty of options available, including a potential title fight at the UFC White House event in the summer.
“Me versus Petr at the White House, I think would be the biggest bantamweight fight in history,” O’Malley said. “… I got to go out there and get through Song. And if I don’t, you know, it’s pointless on who’s next.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Sean O’Malley eyes rebound vs. Song Yadong, then huge White House bout
