UFC champion Sean O’Malley picks Islam Makhachev over Jon Jones, contradicting Dana White’s recent claims.
According to Dana White, nobody else in the world is better than Jon Jones when it comes to fighting. The CEO has been tirelessly promoting Jones ahead of his fight in November, and it has been received with criticism. Recently, UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley refuted White’s claims and put Islam Makhachev at the top of his list.
Islam Makhachev is the pound-for-pound number one fighter in the world, having won dominating wins over former champions. However, White believes as long as Jones is there, nobody deserves that spot more than him. O’Malley recently mentioned that Jones has not been an active champion, which puts him below Makhachev’s current run.
“I think Jon’s fought once in the last 4-5 years. Jon Jones is up there for greatest of all time, but right now who’s the greatest… I think it’s Islam.” – Sean O’Malley via Helen Yee Sports
Jones is undeniably one of the greatest fighters in the history of UFC, with the most number of championship bouts. He has been there for over a decade and has fought some of the most dangerous fighters in the promotion’s history. Nevertheless, in the last three years, Jones has only fought once.
Sean O’Malley says Islam Makhachev is the best fighter in the UFC right now:
“I think Jon’s fought once in the last 4-5 years. Jon Jones is up there for greatest of all time, but right now who’s the greatest… I think it’s Islam.”
On the other hand, since 2020, Makhachev has participated in eight fights, four of which were title bouts. The Dagestani champion has defended his belt thrice, and another title defense almost happened before he needed surgery. As such, O’Malley may be right in his assessment. Moreover, one should note that O’Malley’s support of Makhachev is much more recent than fans could think of.
Sean O’Malley has always bet against Islam Makhachev
Sean O’Malley has established himself as a bankable superstar due to his fan following. The American fighter is smart and knows the business aspect of the sport. Inside the octagon, O’Malley is a killer with incredible knockout power. ‘Suga’ is on his way towards greatness and believes the goal is not far away.
The bantamweight champion also has a YouTube channel where he previews fights and posts MMA content. Over the years, regarding Islam Makhachev’s fight, O’Malley has always predicted against the lightweight champion. At UFC 280, O’Malley believed Makhachev would not be a threat against Charles Oliveira.
“I haven’t watched a ton of Islam, more of a little bit of his recent stuff, but it’s crazy how hyped-up he is….I would love to see Charles go out there and get the job done.” – Sean O’Malley via Helen Yee Sports
His prediction failed as Makhachev made it look easy against the Brazilian, winning the bout via submission. Even after that, O’Malley claimed Oliveira could beat Makhachev in a rematch. Recently, ahead of UFC 302, O’Malley picked Dustin Poirier against Makhachev. It seems like after getting several disappointments, O’Malley has finally accepted the ‘greatness’ of Makhachev.
