Khabib Nurmagomedov recently rejected the idea of a potential title contender match in the bantamweight division. Umar Nurmagomedov and Sean O’Malley are arguably two of the standout fighters in the UFC bantamweight division. And for that reason, one might want to see them face each other in the octagon. But Khabib Nurmagomedov is seemingly against that particular idea.

Umar and O’Malley both fought Merab Dvalishvili in bantamweight championship fights previously. But they were unable to capitalize on those opportunities. After those setbacks, they bounced back impressively; O’Malley defeated Song Yadong at UFC 324, while Umar triumphed over Deiveson Figueiredo on the same night. A potential matchup between these two contenders promises to be nothing short of thrilling. Still, Khabib believes it would be UFC’s loss to book this fight at the moment.

Khabib Nurmagomedov overlooks the potential Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Sean O’Malley fight

“I think Merab needs to get his rematch in April or May. Umar and O’Malley should fight different opponents. Whoever gets the more impressive win earns the title shot. As a matchmaker, I wouldn’t make Umar vs. O’Malley yet. Why play all your cards at once? If they fight now, the UFC loses a star no matter what,” said Khabib Nurmagomedov in an interview with Udar.

Not only that, but ‘The Eagle’ also pointed out how Umar and O’Malley are among the top four in the UFC bantamweight division. He said, “It was very important for us to become the top four: O’Malley, Merab, Yan, and Umar.”

O’Malley rose through Dana White’s Contender Series to become the bantamweight champion and one of the stars in the UFC. Meanwhile, Umar Nurmagomedov has an impressive pro MMA record of 20-1. In the current scenario, even though they do not hold the bantamweight title, both have a massive popularity compared to their rivals.

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As Khabib believes, the UFC can really utilize that star power and book their fight with an interesting storyline and intense rivalry. While ‘The Eagle’ isn’t for that matchup yet, O’Malley shares a different perspective.

Sean O’Malley is ready for a potential Umar Nurmagomedov fight

Sean O’Malley lost two back-to-back championship fights against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306 and UFC 316, respectively. And he surely wants to get back to the top of the ladder. Following his win over Song Yadong, he called out the current bantamweight champion Petr Yan for the title shot. O’Malley said: “Championship mindset, baby! Petr Yan has something that I want…you want that rematch, I want that belt, let’s make it happen. This feels so f-cking good. I hate losing.”

Amid that, O’Malley also isn’t overlooking any other opponents, including Umar Nurmagomedov. “If they [UFC] don’t, they want to see the trilogy with Merab, Umar gets a big win…I’m here for what the people want,” said the Montana native in an interview.

As of now, these are just callouts and speculations, and everything ultimately depends on the UFC. For fans, the potential fight between O’Malley and Umar would surely be a spectacle to watch. On that note, who do you think wins that fight? Do let us know in the comments below!