UFC Vancouver; Aiemann Zahabi on Sean O’Malley’s response to callout
Aiemann Zahabi watches Sean O’Malley’s reaction to his post-fight callout after beating Marlon Vera at UFC Fight Night 262.
VANCOUVER – Aiemann Zahabi might’ve just saved some time and work for the UFC matchmakers.
Fresh off his win at UFC Fight Night 262, Zahabi (14-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) called out former UFC champion Sean O’Malley for a fight, and it looks like ‘Suga’ might be down for it. Zahabi, who defeated Marlon Vera (23-11-1 MMA, 15-10 UFC) in a split decision on the main card of the event, took his microphone time in the cage to shoot his shot.
“I want Sean O’Malley next, baby,” Zahabi yelled on the mic. “It’s me and the ‘Suga’ show.”
It didn’t take long for O’Malley to respond. He didn’t exactly say yes, but he posted a video letting Zahabi know he was listening.
“That’s good,” Zahabi said at the UFC Fight Night 262 post-fight press conference in reaction to O’Malley’s post. “It seems like we’re setting it up. If he didn’t want it, he wouldn’t have made a video.”
Zahabi is currently on a 7-0 run that includes several respected names such as Vera, former UFC champion Jose Aldo and Pedro Munhoz. Zahabi thinks fighting O’Malley would be an appropriate next step for his career, and he feels more than ready to take that leap.
“I’m confident in any matchup. I’m in the top 10 now,” Zahabi said. “If I’m not willing to fight anybody in the top 10, what am I doing here? I want to fight them all, and he’s the No. 1. With the way things are going with (bantamweight champion) Merab (Dvalishvili), he’s clearing out the division. Not to sound negative – Sean O’Malley is a great fighter and all that, but he fought Merab twice, so I don’t think he’s up next for the belt. I feel like it’s Umar (Nurmagomedov) or (Mario) Bautista, (Petr) Yan – there are some guys that will get the title fight before Sean O’Malley because he lost to Merab two times, and I don’t mean that in a disrespectful way. I feel like I have the opportunity to fight someone that’s No. 1, so I want to take it.”
Zahabi has had an unusual career run. Not many 37-year-olds thrive in MMA, but Zahabi has found a way to be peaking and at his best moment. Regardless of what happens next, Zahabi is happy with the streak that he’s put together, capped off with his win over Vera on Saturday.
“I feel like a million bucks,” Zahabi said. “I feel like I lived up to my words. I said I would leave it all out there, and at this level, that’s what it takes every time. I’m starving and I want to keep going. I want what these guys have. I feel like I showed to the fans tonight that I wasn’t going to go down easy. Man, I’m hard to kill.”
