UFC bantamweight Sean O’Malley doesn’t understand why TJ Dillashaw turned down the chance to meet him in a Submission Underground fight (SUG).
O’Malley was last in action at UFC 264 in July. In the main card opener, “Suga” faced promotional newcomer Kris Moutinho. His original opponent, UFC veteran Louis Smolka, was forced to withdraw through injury.
Despite a gritty performance from the debutant, O’Malley delivered a record-breaking striking masterclass on his way to a third-round TKO finish. Having taken home a Fight of the Night bonus last time out, the 26-year-old will be looking to bag another $50,000 when he’s next in action. A recent tweet from Brian Kelleher suggests O’Malley will be facing “Boom” in December.
While he waits for confirmation of his next opponent, O’Malley still has one top-ranked bantamweight on his mind. Last month, “Suga” claimed TJ Dillashaw turned down a SUG fight against him ahead of the former UFC Bantamweight Champion’s return to action.
During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, O’Malley discussed the failed booking. The surging 135-pound star revealed his surprise that Dillashaw turned down the chance for a tune-up fight before his return to the Octagon, especially after his recent comments suggesting that O’Malley has “holes” in his game.
“I got offered Dominick Cruz and TJ [Dillashaw]. I mean, they offered me a couple different people, but I’m not gonna go grapple some random-ass guys. It’s gonna obviously benefit me. So they offered me TJ and Dominick. And I said hell yeah to both those, and then Chael [Sonnen] said they both said never mind, or they said no. So I don’t know what really happened. Obviously, communication’s huge, and they could be getting lost, but yeah, they offered me TJ, and I said yeah.
“And then TJ says I have too many holes in my game. If I have holes in my game, why not go and choke me out real quick? And that was before he competed recently. That was a couple months before he competed. So I thought maybe he would want to get a little tune-up, easy choke on me. But I guess not,” said O’Malley.
After serving a two-year suspension following a positive test for EPO, Dillashaw made a successful comeback at UFC Vegas 32 in July. Showing his intentions, the 35-year-old returned against one of the best in the division. Opposite Cory Sandhagen, Dillashaw overcame early adversity in the form of a deep cut and a knee injury, and he went on to secure a tight split decision victory in the headlining bout.
Having jumped straight back into the 135-pound rankings at #2, the Californian is anticipating a shot at gold once he’s recovered from knee surgery in early 2022. He’s expected to face the victor of Aljamain Sterling’s championship rematch against Petr Yan at UFC 267 next month.
Who do you think would win a Submission Underground fight? Sean O’Malley or TJ Dillashaw?
