Former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley went from main event title fight at UFC 316, to co-headlining status at UFC 324, to the middle of the card at UFC White House.
Prelims next?
O’Malley, 31, was once considered the biggest star in all of UFC but these days, is not feeling like his upcoming “moment” against Aiemann Zahabi can match some of his previous title fights, like his victories over Aljamain Sterling and Marlon Vera.
“I feel like the Aljo fight felt so big, the Chito fight felt so big,”
O’Malley (19-3, 1 NC) said on YouTube. “The moment, being the main event, fighting for the title — this is a huge fight. I’m fighting … it feels like a big fight. I mean, it’s the f*cking White House. There’s only six fights on the card. It’s such a big deal. It feels like a big fight, but the moment, I guess, doesn’t seem as big as a title fight, you know what I’m saying?”
Swapping fans for a bunch of stuffy international dignitaries probably isn’t helping matters.
There are also lingering questions about O’Malley’s star power (based on these numbers).
Whether or not the promotion has dropped the curtain on the “Suga Show” after his struggles against Merab Dvalishvili is unclear, but it sounds like O’Malley is not feeling the same hype for UFC White House.
For the rest of the UFC White House fight card and Paramount+ lineup click here.
