Sean O'Malley Targets GOAT Status and Calls Out Ian Machado

Sean O'Malley is plotting his path back to the top of the UFC bantamweight division, openly discussing his goal to be considered the division's greatest of all time. The former champion is on a two-fight win streak and has his eyes on the upcoming title fight between Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili on October 24 at UFC 333.

Sean O'Malley's GOAT Ambitions After Two-Fight Streak

O'Malley's reign as champion ended two years ago with two losses to Merab Dvalishvili, the second a dominant submission at UFC 306. He has since rebounded with consecutive victories over Song Yadong and Aiemann Zahabi, the latter at the UFC White House event. In a recent UFC on Most important+ interview, O'Malley laid out his case for GOAT status, a conversation currently dominated by Aljamain Sterling, Petr Yan, and Dvalishvili. "Looking back on my career, it's like Aljamain Sterling was the GOAT until I knocked him out," O'Malley said. He believes a clear win over Petr Yan, who he defeated by split decision in 2022, would strengthen his claim, especially if Yan beats Dvalishvili first. O'Malley still wants a rematch with Dvalishvili but says the timing must be right.

O'Malley Fires Back at Ian Machado Garry's Past Comments

O'Malley didn't hold back in a YouTube reaction video targeting welterweight title challenger Ian Machado Garry. The beef stems from a 2023 clip where Garry claimed he was the main reason European fans woke up to watch UFC 292, an event headlined by O'Malley knocking out Aljamain Sterling to win the belt. "This just got personal," O'Malley said. "The f*ck did you just say? You think people were waking up at 5 a.m. To watch you vs. F*cking... Neil Magny?" O'Malley also joked about Garry's recent sponsorship with PETA and his take that women should run the world. "I wouldn't let my wife run the world, ha!" O'Malley quipped. "I think you should have a wiener to run the world." Garry challenges Islam Makhachev for the welterweight title this Saturday in the UFC 330 main event in Philadelphia.

O'Malley Picks Paddy Pimblett in Rumored Topuria Fight

On his podcast, O'Malley and his coach Tim Welch discussed rumors of a potential December fight between Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett. Welch mentioned seeing "rumblings" of the matchup. O'Malley was excited, calling it a "massive f fight" that would likely be in Las Vegas. When asked for a pick, O'Malley leaned towards Pimblett but called it a coin flip. "Right now, I'm probably leading towards Paddy," O'Malley said. "It's hard to see where Ilia's at mentally" after his first MMA loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250. He added, "Paddy's also so big, confident. He's a f scouser, and scousers don't get knocked out." Pimblett is coming off a stunning win over Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 329.

• Sean O'Malley is on a two-fight win streak, with victories over Song Yadong and Aiemann Zahabi.
• He aims to re-enter the bantamweight GOAT conversation by potentially facing Petr Yan again.
• O'Malley reacted strongly to old comments from Ian Machado Garry, who fights for a title at UFC 330.
• He believes a rumored Ilia Topuria vs. Paddy Pimblett fight would be huge and slightly favors Pimblett.

His active commentary on other fighters shows he remains a central figure in the sport's conversations as he works his way back into contention.