Coach Tim Welch explains how Sean O'Malley beating Umar Nurmagomedov would "put him on another level again"

Sean O'Malley’s coach, Tim Welch, believes a matchup between his star pupil and No. 2-ranked bantamweight contender Umar Nurmagomedov could be a career-defining moment for the bantamweight champion.

Nurmagomedov solidified his position as the top contender by defeating Cory Sandhagen in a dominant performance at UFC on ABC 7.

With O’Malley set to defend his title against Merab Dvalishvili on Sept. 14, Welch sees a potential clash between 'Suga' and Nurmagomedov as the next logical step.

Speaking to Submission Radio, the coach said:

“Umar is well rounded. He kicks a lot, he trains with the Nurmagomedovs, he’s a serious problem for sure...For [Sean O'Malley], he always wants the biggest fights that are going to bring the most eyes and the biggest challenge. Right now, Merab. Two undefeated guys and having it be a Nurmagomedov name, that’s a huge, huge challenge and something that would get Sean fired up, because if he KO’d Umar, that would put him on another level again.” [H/t: MMA Junkie]

Check out Tim Welch's comment below:

Welch was impressed by Nurmagomedov’s performance against Sandhagen, noting his ability to mix up his striking and grappling effectively. A potential matchup between O’Malley and Nurmagomedov would undoubtedly be a highly anticipated clash, with both fighters possessing exceptional skills and star power.

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Sean O'Malley calls out Conor McGregor, confident in potential matchup

Sean O'Malley has thrown his hat into the ring for a potential showdown with Conor McGregor. The rising star expressed confidence in his ability to defeat the former two-division champion, igniting a potential new rivalry in the UFC.

O'Malley's comments come after a period of increasing tension between the two fighters. While McGregor initially congratulated O'Malley on his title win, the relationship has since soured. The bantamweight champion believes his fighting style would give him a significant advantage over the Irishman. He said:

"There's weight classes for a reason. I'm not gonna chirp those guys [at lightweight]. I will chirp Conor [McGregor] because I do believe I can beat Conor in a fight. I'm not just saying that, I think stylistically I could beat Conor in a fight...I wouldn't call out somebody if I didn't think I could beat them in a fight...Conor's 5'7"...He's thick but he's short...Talk sh*t, let's do it."

Check out Sean O'Malley's comments on Conor McGregor below: