"Now I'm fighting someone ranked, they're like who's this?" - Sean O'Malley on the backlash he's received since announcing he will fight Raulian Paiva next

After much speculation, UFC bantamweight prospect Sean O'Malley has finally got a fight booked. At UFC 269, O'Malley will take on No.15-ranked Raulian Paiva. The Brazilian is currently on a three-fight winning streak and is coming off a controversial decision victory over Kyler Phillips.

Sean O'Malley will enter the fight having picked up back-to-back wins against Kris Moutinho and Thomas Almeida. He has received criticism for taking on fights against opponents who are not on a similar level to him, be that due to age or inexperience.

These critics are not without a point. Moutinho made his UFC debut on short notice against O'Malley and Almeida has since been cut from the promotion following his loss. However, in Paiva, Sean O'Malley will face an established UFC bantamweight with a ranking next to his name.

Speaking on a recent episode of the TimboSugarShow, Sean O'Malley and his coach Tim Welch discussed the upcoming matchup. Welch first brought the topic up by stating:

"How sweet is that that you finally get a fight. Cus' when you don't have a fight it's like, are you even gonna fight on December 11th. But it's f***ing sweet, what a good match. Number 15. It's f***ing awesome seeing all the comments: 'Fight someone ranked.'"

Sean O'Malley then interjected. He pointed out that now that he'll be facing a ranked opponent, fans have changed the angle of their criticism towards him.

"Now I'm fighting someone ranked, they're like 'who's this?'"

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Sean O'Malley is unsure if he'll be on the main card of UFC 269

UFC 269 will be the closing pay-per-view of 2021. As a result, the UFC has stacked it full of talent. Three title fights sit on top of the card. Lightweight champion Charles Oliveira will defend his belt against Dustin Poirier in the main event. Women's bantamweight GOAT Amanda Nunes will finally put her title on the line against Julianna Pena. Completing the trio will be the third fight between flyweight king Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo.

There are also a number of big names on the card outside of the title fights. That has Sean O'Malley unsure whether he will feature on the main card for the fifth time in a row.

With Cody Garbrandt set to debut at flyweight and Dominick Cruz facing Pedro Munhoz, 'Sugar' questioned where he may fit in.

You can check out the full episode below: