Ilia Topuria dismisses Sean O'Malley's callout for a potential super fight. Despite O'Malley expressing interest in facing Topuria if both emerge victorious in their respective title bouts, Topuria sees little to gain from such a matchup.
In an interview with KOlmenero, Topuria (14-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) addressed O'Malley's callout, stating, "First of all, what he wants is what he wants. Then there’s what I want. He’s a fighter who fights good – he has a pretty visible style, good timing, good reflexes."
Acknowledging O'Malley's skills, Topuria emphasized that facing him is not currently in his plans, questioning the benefits of such a matchup for him. He stated, "He doesn’t have heavy hands, but (he hits) with precision. It’s not an easy fight as many say. He’s the world champion, but what would I gain by facing him? Right now, it’s not in my plans to fight him."
Topuria is not convinced that O'Malley is a star, pointing to potential doubts about his pay-per-view drawing power. Referencing O'Malley's recent headline status at UFC 299, Topuria mentioned Aljamain Sterling's claim that their title fight at UFC 292 didn't sell as many pay-per-views as expected. This information has contributed to Topuria's opinion that O'Malley may not be the star he claims to be.
"He thinks he’s a superstar, (but) he’s not at all," Topuria remarked. "If you see his last pay-per-view numbers, he’s like – you better keep quiet. I want to grow up. I don’t want someone at my expense to grow up."
