Sean O’Malley is looking for a dance partner for a monster crossover payday. The newly minted UFC bantamweight champion sees WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis as a suitable opponent in a boxing match.
“Suga” called out “Tank” Davis in the aftermath of O’Malley’s highlight-reel stoppage of Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292. O’Malley envisions a foray into boxing similar to the box office blockbuster that was Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather.
“I also wouldn’t mind knocking out Gervonta Davis,” O’Malley said at the UFC 292 post-fight press conference. “And I know people are going to go, ‘Ooh, you’re a wannabe Conor.’ I’m telling you, that fight is going to happen.’
“I feel like it could happen sooner than later. But I also know, OK, UFC is down to get behind stuff like that if it’s big enough. With that performance, we’re getting close, but maybe I have to go out there, win a couple more fights, win another belt. I don’t know if he’s even considered a big enough star for the UFC to let that happen. It’ll happen.”
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O’Malley was both dismissive and complimentary of what Davis can offer in such an arrangement. O’Malley considers himself the primary draw in a crossover fight but believes their combined star power can generate serious cash.
“I don’t really follow boxing, but I’ve heard of Gervonta Davis,” O’Malley said. “I think he’s undefeated. I want to have crazy, massive fights. That shit gets me excited. I love that stuff. There are no stars in the bantamweight division. Gervonta, you can consider him almost a star, and that’s what gets me excited. Me vs. Gervonta would be f—ing massive.”
More MMA news, rumors:
- O’Malley vs. Davis isn’t the only combat sports crossover in the news cycle. Undisputed super middleweight champion Savannah Marshall announced her foray into MMA on Tuesday and will sign with the Professional Fighters League. “I’m quite good friends with Molly McCann, who is in the UFC, and I’ve just seen the opportunities she was getting and the UFC were treating the men just as well as they were treating the women, so I had contemplated on the fact of moving to MMA,” Marshall told ESPN. “I did a bit of [Brazilian jiu-jitsu] and MMA in the past, not a lot, only a little bit, and the opportunity had come up and I’m in a position now where I believe the PFL, it’s one of the biggest MMA sports organizations in the world, can take my profile to the next level.” Marshall also admitted a rematch against boxing rival Claressa Shields in MMA was a big motivator for her signing with the promotion. “Well, there’s no one really out there who I want to punch in the face more than Claressa,” Marshall said. “Or kick in the face.”
- Mackenzie Dern vs. Jessica Andrade is headed to Madison Square Garden. Dern vs. Andrade will take place at UFC 295 in New York City on Nov. 11, the promotion announced during the UFC 292 broadcast. Dern is arguably the most accomplished women’s jiu-jitsu combatant of all time. She has done relatively well in MMA but has fallen short against other top contenders like Yan Xiaonan and Marina Rodriguez. Former UFC women’s strawweight champion Andrade has been tremendously active this year, but it’s been more bad than good. Andrade is 1-3 in 2023 with three consecutive stoppage losses and will sneak in at least one more fight this year.
