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Sean O'Malley has his sights on Ilia's Topuria after the Georgian-Spanish fighter's incredible title win at UFC 298 last weekend. Meanwhile, fans were given a reality check after Dana White dismissed rumors of a blockbuster Israel Adesanya vs. Khamzat Chimaev superfight at UFC Saudi Arabia.
Catch up on all the latest highlights in combat sports with Sportskeeda's Midnight Roundup.
Sean O'Malley confident about beating Marlon Vera, intends to face Ilia Topuria after
Sean O'Malley knows what he wants and is prepared to do whatever it takes to achieve his goals.
The reigning bantamweight king recently shared his thoughts on his upcoming title defense against Marlon Vera at UFC 299 and promised to put on a "beautiful performance" against his longtime rival. Looking beyond Vera, O'Malley also clarified his intentions to fight newly-crowned featherweight king Ilia Topuria in a potential bid to become a two-division champion.
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After watching Topuria secure a devastating second-round knockout victory over Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298, O'Malley praised the Georgian-Spanish fighter for his performance and claimed he'd love to face him after the Vera fight. During an interview with Ariel Helwani, he said:
"When I think of a scary opponent, what makes me go, 'whoo', that's Ilia. Ilia gives me that. He can put your f**king lights out and change your life. That's a scary opponent."
O'Malley had previously made it clear that he wanted to face Topuria for the 145-pound strap, referring to 'El Matador' as his Eddie Alvarez - the same fighter Conor McGregor defeated to achieve double champ status.
Dana White dismisses rumored Israel Adesanya vs. Khamzat Chimaev fight on UFC Saudi Arabia card
Dana White recently sounded off on MMA media for jumping the gun once again and debunked rumors about Israel Adesanya fighting Khamzat Chimaev in the main event of the UFC Saudi Arabia card.
While the event was originally booked for March, it was later postponed to June 22 after White stated that he wanted to adjust the card to make it a truly remarkable experience for Saudi Arabian fans. Given his promise, it's not surprising that many seemingly fell victim to an elaborate prank on social media.
Fans on X were recently taken for a ride after a website pretending to represent the official Kingdom Arena ticket booking portal promoted the fight and even circulated a link for the event.
After much speculation, White took to Instagram Stories and tackled the situation head-on. The UFC CEO debunked the rumors and sounded off on the media outlets that helped spread the fake news. He wrote:
"Not happening. It was a fake post. All the MMA media that ran with it are the problem. Absolute CLOWNS."
Sean Strickland names ex-Navy SEAL David Goggins as "worst UFC cornermen" ever
Sean Strickland isn't a fan of former Navy SEAL David Goggins and recently named the soldier-turned-motivational speaker as the UFC's worst cornerman ever.
For context, Alexander Volkanovski recently walked out with Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg for his title fight against Ilia Topuria at UFC 298 last weekend. The fight ended badly for the Australian, and he lost the 145-pound title via a brutal second-round knockout.
In the aftermath, X user @PCStricklandMMA asked fans how Zuckerberg compared to Goggins and Jack Black as one of the "worst" cornermen of all time. Responding to the post, 'Tarzan' recalled Goggins cornering Tony Ferguson in his fight against Paddy Pimblett at UFC 296, where he was beaten via decision.
Strickland wrote:
"Lmao..... "Stay hard Tony" lmao."
Demetrious Johnson discusses potential Ilia Topuria vs. Alexander Volkanovski rematch
Demetrious Johnson doesn't see Alexander Volkanovski beating Ilia Topuria in a potential rematch.
'El Matador' recently snatched the UFC featherweight title away from Volkanovski at UFC 298 and appeared keen to accept the Australian's rematch call-out. Given Volkanovski's resume, many fight fans are eager to see him go up against the Georgian-Spanish fighter again. However, 'Mighty Mouse' doesn't see the result changing.
During a recent episode of MIGHTYcast, Johnson broke down Volkanovski's chances against Topuria in a potential rematch and said:
"If they do a rematch, all Ilia has to do is touch him. He has to run away from Topuria for 25 minutes. It's not like Volkanovski has a range advantage. I don’t think Volkanovski’s faster than him... I truly feel like llia Topuria is a bad matchup for Alex Volkanovski."
UFC legend Matt Brown explains why Conor McGregor's fighting days may be over
UFC icon Matt Brown recently opened up about the idea of Conor McGregor making a grand comeback to the octagon. He bluntly dismissed the chances of that happening and outlined why he thought the Irishman was done with professional fighting.
In a recent interview with MMA journalist Damon Martin, Brown pointed out that McGregor had all the money in the world and said:
"The dude's [McGregor] got hundreds of millions in the bank. Would you fight if you had hundreds of millions of dollars in the bank?... He was an amazing fighter. First to get double. He's not getting back to a belt, a title, ever. The only reason he would have to come back would be his ego... He's not a dumb person... So what's the point in coming back to fighting?"
Interestingly, Dana White shares this same sentiment and recently explained why it's taking the promotion so long to book a fight for the Irishman.
Floyd Mayweather makes bold claims about being the "face of boxing" over Muhammad Ali and other legends
Floyd Mayweather recently made it clear that he considers himself the undisputed face of boxing.
'Money' is undeniably among the greatest pugilists ever. He retired with a perfect 50-0 record, and his resume includes wins over fighters like Manny Pacquiao, Canelo Alvarez, Conor McGregor, and Oscar De La Hoya.
During a recent appearance on The Pivot Podcast, Mayweather weighed in on his legacy and even stated that he's better than boxing legends like Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, and Sugar Ray Robinson. Boxing reporter Michael Benson shared his quotes on X and wrote:
"I'm really still the face of boxing. I'm appreciative of guys like Sugar Ray Robinson, Muhammad Ali, and Sugar Ray Leonard - so many guys who paved the way for me. But there's only one Floyd Mayweather. These fighters are not better than me."
Check out how fans reacted to Mayweather's statements here.
Also Read:
Sean O'Malley on why Henry Cejudo lost to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 298
Ian Garry promises to "destroy" Colby Covington
Ilia Topuria enters UFC's pound-for-pound rankings
