Miami, FL – With his first fight just days away UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley ended up fielding questions about superstar boxer Ryan Garcia’s jabs at him on social media.
“Cocaine’s a hell of a drug. I think he’s on drugs and he’s acting a fool,” O’Malley told reporters including Cageside Press on Wednesday.
“Feel bad for him more than anything.”
Even with all the of high-profile trash talk coming from the boxer, O’Malley doesn’t see a fight between the two actually materializing.
“Cocaine’s a hell of a drug. That will never happen, and if it does I’m here for it. It wouldn’t be my fault that fight doesn’t happen, but yeah. Realistically that will never happen,” he said.
Business at hand for O’Malley is the rematch with Marlon “Chito” Vera. The two squared up in September 2020 where Vera landed a leg kick that damaged O’Malley’s leg and the fight ended shortly after that.
“That fight never necessarily bothered me. Look where I’m at now. That fight plays out a different way, I win that fight, maybe the next fight I fight somebody that I wasn’t ready for and I lose. My career completely plays out different,” said O’Malley.
“Grateful for everything that’s happened, but I am excited to go out there and do what I was about to do in that first fight.
There is a backup fighter for this bout in the form of Merab Dvalishvili who comes off a dominant decision victory over former champion Henry Cejudo. Should Vera not make it to the octagon on Saturday, would the champion be willing to fight Dvalishvili?
“100%,” O’Malley said.
Watch the entire media day scrum with Sean O’Malley above. He takes on Marlon “Chito” Vera at UFC 299 on Saturday night.
