UFC featherweight contender wants Sean O'Malley to fight for bantamweight gold next

Sean O'Malley skyrocketed up the UFC bantamweight rankings following his victory over Petr Yan at UFC 280. 'Sugar' went from being ranked No.11 to the No.1 spot after defeating 'No Mercy', and a title fight could be next for O'Malley.

However, reigning bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling has declared that he won't be fighting until mid-2023. Henry Cejudo is also said to be making a comeback and called out Sean O'Malley on Twitter to fight for a UFC interim title during Sterling's hiatus.

Whether it's for the undisputed 135 lbs strap or for an interim belt, UFC featherweight Nathaniel Wood believes that it's O'Malley's time to fight for the title next. The British fighter took to Twitter to declare that he would like to see 'Sugar' fight for the UFC bantamweight title.

'The Prospect' tweeted the following:

"I actually think O’Malley is quality, now I’m at a different weight class I would like to see him fight for the belt"

See the tweet below:

Sean O'Malley has his sights set on an interim title fight with Marlon 'Chito' Vera, should a bout with Aljamain Sterling not come to fruition. 'Sugar' posted the following on Twitter roughly two weeks ago:

"Id rather fight someone who deserves it like Chito"

See the tweet below:

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Sean O'Malley believes him vs. Marlon Vera for interim belt is a bigger fight than him vs. Henry Cejudo

Sean O'Malley is currently the No.1-ranked UFC bantamweight, and speculation about his next opponent looms large.

A potential fight with the reining champion Aljamain Sterling has been mentioned in the past. Sterling, however, has no interest in fighting before June 2023. So an interim title fight against a fellow top 5 ranked bantamweight could be on the cards for O'Malley.

Prominent MMA pundit Luke Thomas recently appeared on the TimboSugarShow and discussed O'Malley's next opponent. 'Sugar' stated that an interim title fight with Marlon 'Chito' Vera would be a bigger fight than one with Henry Cejudo:

"Me vs. Chito is a lot bigger than me vs. Henry. Henry... it's weird [given] the accolades that he has, [but] he's not a big draw... Yeah me vs. Chito is a bigger fight. Me vs. Cory Sandhagen is a bigger fight."

Watch the video below from 0:30:

Sean O'Malley and Marlon Vera have faced off before at UFC 252, where 'Chito' handed him his only MMA loss to date.

'Sugar' was finished on the ground due to his peroneal nerve being compromised, which caused a loss of feeling in his foot. However, O'Malley did not acknowledge the loss, given the circumstances surrounding the finish. 'Sugar' referred to himself as "still unbeaten" following the fight.

The pair have traded words online since their fight. With both fighters rising in the bantamweight rankings, a potential fight between them has MMA fans licking their lips in anticipation.