#4. Former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz
Dominick Cruz has had quite a career resurgence in the UFC as of late. The former bantamweight champion returned from a three-and-a-half year layoff in 2020 during which he was stopped by Henry Cejudo. Cruz has since won back-to-back fights with decision wins over Casey Kenney and Pedro Munhoz.
'The Dominator' is currently scheduled to fight Marlon Vera on August 13. And so, a win could set the stage for a bout with O'Malley. It would be interesting to see what transpires if they fight one another.
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While speaking with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour last March, 'The Dominator' shared his thoughts on O'Malley.
"We have a lot of similarities. If he is an up-and-coming athlete, I am sure he has watched a ton of my fights and saw I was successful and I am sure he uses a lot of that stuff."
Cruz is known for his movements and how he sets up his strikes and takedowns. On the other hand, 'Sugar' is a powerful striker with the ability to finish strongly.
#3. No.7 Ranked UFC bantamweight Rob Font
No. 7 Ranked UFC bantamweight Rob Font has hit a rough patch. He is on a two-fight losing skid for the first time in his MMA career. He has lost back-to-back decisions to Jose Aldo and Marlon Vera and even missed weight for the Vera bout.
Despite missing weight against 'Chito', the fight certainly delivered as it was an entertaining main event. It earned Fight of the Night, but Font's ranking fell as a result. The loss puts Font outside the Top 5 and he'll need a big win to return to title contention. To make matters worse, he was ineligible for the Fight of the Night bonus because he missed weight.
The bout could be a win-win for both fighters. Font could capitalize on O'Malley's popularity should he defeat him decisively. Meanwhile, 'Sugar' could move closer to a fight with a top-5 ranked bantamweight if he finishes Font.