Sean O’Malley is ready to continue his reign atop the UFC bantamweight division, and his focus is squarely on Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306. But ‘Suga’ already has his sights set beyond that fight. But Khabib Nurmagomedov and his team may not like what he’s got planned for the future. The bantamweight champ knows he’s got options, and he’s not afraid to tease the competition.

Umar Nurmagomedov currently holds the number 2 spot in the bantamweight rankings and is undefeated in his professional MMA career. But is that enough for him to be next in line to take on Sean O’Malley? According to a recent statement by ‘Suga’ he has earmarked other potential names on his list for the future and Team Khabib may need to adjust their plans if he holds on to his title at UFC 306!

Sean O’Malley dampens Team Khabib’s plans as he lines up his options after UFC 306

As Sean O’Malley gears up for his showdown with Merab Dvalishvili, the 135lbs champion isn’t short on confidence. He’s not just thinking about this fight but also about what comes next. At a recent pre-fight press conference, he was asked who is a more deserving challenger for the title next, Deiveson Figueiredo or Umar Nurmagomedov?

Instead of answering the question, O’Malley decided to stir the pot a little. ‘Suga’ stated, “I’ll say this just so it gets clipped, Merab probably won’t see the whole thing, he’ll probably just see this. I think Umnar is more deserving to fight me right now than Merab. I don’t really mean that but Merab’s gonna see that and f**king freak out.”

Mispronouncing Umar Nurmagomedov’s name, O’Malley’s attempt was a clear ploy to get under Dvalishvili and the Dagestani fighter’s skins. The Georgian has been vocal about his issues with the Umar’s rise in the division. But O’Malley further shared that, “But as far as who’s next, it’s definitely not Umar, it could be, it could be Figgy, umm, it could be Ilia (Topuria), there’s options. Right now, it’s pointless, I gotta go out there and take care of Merab but we got options after him”

However, O’Malley’s eye for promotion is razor sharp, and he knows how to build hype as, without committing to a particular name, he’s put multiple opponents on notice! So what about ‘The Eagle’s plans? After Umar’s win over Cory Sandhagen at UFC on ABC 7 in Abu Dhabi, the former lightweight champion had declared his support for Merab. “We are neighbors, Dagestan and Georgia. I want Merab to win because it’s going to be a very interesting fight. White papakha vs. black papakha.”

As such, the chances for Team Khabib and Umar Nurmagomedov getting a shot at the bantamweight title hinge upon Merab Dvalisvhili winning at UFC 306. But according to ‘The Machine’, the Dagestani bantamweight still has a lot to prove before he gets himself involved in the title picture!

Merab Dvalishvili believes Umar Nurmagomedov needs to “chill” before going for the title

With a ten-fight win streak and victories over former champions like Jose Aldo, Petr Yan, and Henry Cejudo, Merab Dvalishvili has clawed his way to a title shot at UFC 306 against Sean O’Malley. But there’s one thing that doesn’t sit right with him: Umar Nurmagomedov being in the same conversation.

During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, ‘The Machine’ didn’t hold back as he stated, “What the f**k? You don’t fight nobody and now you just got here because your last name is Nurmagomedov, because you’re Khabib’s cousin.”

While he made it clear, he isn’t a fan of Umar Nurmagomedov calling for a title shot with just the win over Sandhagen. He had another proposition in mind. What is it? “He should just fight (Deiveson) Figueiredo. He should fight somebody. (Maybe) Petr Yan. He just beat one guy from the top 15. Come on, chill out a little bit. That’s all I have for him”, the Georgian simply stated.

For now, Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili are on a collision course, and after UFC 306, only one will stand at the top of the mountain. In the aftermath, it remains to be seen who gets a shot at the coveted UFC bantamweight title! Do you think Umar Nurmagomedov should get a shot at the winner of the UFC 306 bantamweight main-event? Why or Why not? Let us know in the comments below!