Ilia Topuria no longer interested in Sean O'Malley fight after latter's Noche UFC title loss

Ilia Topuria recently revealed that his enthusiasm for a potential showdown with Sean O'Malley has faded after 'Sugar' failed to defend his bantamweight title against Merab Dvalishvili at Noche UFC 306.

O'Malley has been eager to share the octagon with Topuria ever since his commanding unanimous decision win over Marlon Vera at UFC 299 in March. The 29-year-old Montana native immediately called out 'El Matador' and even exchanged barbs with him on social media multiple times, fueling the prospect of a champion-versus-champion clash.

At the time, the reigning UFC featherweight champion didn’t completely dismiss O'Malley's proposal. Instead, he suggested that O'Malley first take care of his Georgian compatriot, Dvalishvili, before considering their potential bout.

With 'Sugar' now having lost his title in a one-sided defeat, Topuria no longer seems amused by the prospect of a super fight. In a recent interview with Marca, 'El Matador' shared his thoughts, stating that he believes O'Malley simply isn’t on his level (comments translated from Spanish):

"Some other better fight will come along. It's like the same with Paddy [Pimblett]. It seemed like a super attractive fight, but if you're not at the level, what can I do? You get defeated even before you get into the octagon with me. I don't even need to get in there for people to know that I'm better than you. So why fight?"

Check out Ilia Topuria's comments below (8:40):

Topuria is preparing to put his 145-pound title on the line against former champion Max Holloway in the main event of UFC 308, set for Oct. 26 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

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Ilia Topuria exudes confidence in his preparation ahead of Max Holloway bout

During a recent press conference for a WOW MMA event, Ilia Topuria was asked to share insights into his strategy as he prepares for his first title defense against Max Holloway at UFC 308.

'El Matador' exuded confidence as he discussed his training regimen and lethal striking abilities. Topuria jokingly quipped that featherweight contenders might want to consider wearing helmets to protect themselves from his devastating knockout power:

"Better than ever. I really wouldn't want to be in someone else's shoes, believe me. I've prepared very, very hard. I'm at that point right now in my weight class, and a good motorcycle helmet is needed because if not, there is no solution."

Check out Ilia Topuria's comments below (translated from Spanish):

Check out the full press conference below: