Calling out Sean O'Malley is a 'waste of time', UFC bantamweight Montel Jackson explains why (Exclusive)

Montel Jackson is working his way up the divisional rankings at 135 lbs. In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda's Andrew Whitelaw, 'Quik' spoke about various topics ranging from his upcoming opponent Rani Yahya to his career ambitions and whether he's aiming for the bantamweight throne.

One of the topics he covered, however, is number-two ranked 135'er Sean O'Malley and why challenging him to a fight is pointless. According to Montel Jackson, issuing public callouts doesn't guarantee a fight with anyone and amounts to a waste of time.

When Andrew Whitelaw presented the idea of facing Sean O'Malley due to how many people consider him a money fight, 'Quik' had plenty to say.

"That's them, and that's all speculation. Like, to each his own, like if you believe that, if you believe, like, that's your money fight, that's your money fight, man. Me, I'll fight whoever they put in front of me. Everything else is hypothetical, man."

Jackson further elaborated on his feelings by describing how fruitless callouts can be and that the best course of action is to concentrate on the fighters who have already signed a contract to face him.

"Like, you know how callouts work. You can call a motherf*cker out a hundred times, it don't mean they're gonna sign that contract. It's a waste of time. You gotta focus on the stuff that's in front of you, man. You gotta focus on the people that signed the contract. Everything else is pointless, man. It's all hype, man."

As things stand, Montel Jackson's only focus is his opponent, Rani Yahya. The pair will lock horns at UFC Fight Night 222 this Saturday.

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Montel Jackson's UFC bantamweight journey

While he seems disinterested in lobbying for a matchup against bantamweight superstar Sean O'Malley, Montel Jackson continues to work his way toward the top 15 at 135 lbs. The 30-year-old is currently at the helm of a three-fight win streak, having last fought at UFC 281 when Alex Pereira became champion.

He hopes to extend his run to four consecutive wins by defeating Rani Yahya. The two men are both grapplers, with Jackson having a background in wrestling. While his original Olympic aspirations never materialized, he transitioned into MMA and hasn't looked back since.

Meanwhile, Yahya is a high-level Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist with a fifth-degree black belt. He is unbeaten in his last three fights and will hope to derail his foe's hopes of cracking the top 15.

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