Alexander Volkanovski was riding high as the pound-for-pound best. He had almost cleared the entire featherweight division, reigning supreme in every single fight. Moreover, he had already faced IslamMakhachev once in a close battle. But then came the rematch on two weeks’ notice. A brutal head kick. Lights out. And as per Sean O’Malley, this was the start of his decline.
‘Suga’ recently dropped a bombshell on the “Join the Lobby” podcast. He believes Volkanovksi made a career-altering blunder by taking on the pound-for-pound best, Islam Makhachev, on short notice.
“I think he f**ked his career up by taking a short notice against Islam Makhachev, two weeks, against the pound-for-pound best guy in the world, got knocked out, and then he goes into a fight with Ilia (Topuria) where I feel like that fight plays out a little bit different if he wouldn’t just come and get off a nasty knock out.”
Sean O’Malley believes this knockout had a domino effect. It messed with Volkanovki’s confidence for his next fight against Ilia Topuria. Moreover, he took just four months off after that brutal head-kick KO. And fans all know how that turned out. Another nap on the canvas.
Now, Alexander Volkanovski is sitting at 1-3 in his last four fights. It is a far cry from the unstoppable force fans once knew. Sean O’Malley’s viewpoint gives insight into what a single miscalculation can do to a fighter’s entire career.
Sean O’Malley Shares Merab Dvalishvili Rematch Update
Last month, ‘Suga‘ tasted defeat at UFC 306 against Merab Dvalishvili. The Georgian grinder dethroned him in a unanimous decision. But here’s the thing about O’Malley; he doesn’t stay down for long. He is already plotting his comeback. And he has some spicy news for us.
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In a recent chat with Ariel Helwani, Sean O’Malley spilled the beans on his rematch plans. He is eyeing March or April for his return to the octagon. This comes after he recently revealed he would be out of action after getting surgery.
“For three and a half years, I kept saying, ‘I’m better than [Marlon] ‘Chito’ [Vera], I’m better than ‘Chito’, that was bulls**t’, and Miami, this year, I got to prove that. So, I would like to go back to Miami and prove that one again. Rematch Merab, that’s what I want.”
Sean O’Malley thinks Merab Dvalishvili might prefer fighting him over Umar Nurmagomedov. Maybe he has a point, as ‘The Machine’ has avoided the ‘Young Eagle’ for a while now. It now remains to be seen if ‘Suga’ faces Dvalishvili or if Nurmagomedov gets to him before he does.
