Sean O’Malley explains why he turned down Frankie Edgar for UFC 268 in New York
It appears the UFC was looking to book Sean O'Malley against Frankie Edgar, but O’Malley declined.
Not because O’Malley (14-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) didn’t want to fight Edgar, but simply because he wasn’t interested in fighting at UFC 268 on Nov. 6 in New York.
O’Malley, who’s fought all of his UFC bouts in Las Vegas, wanted to avoid New York because of the state’s “ridiculous” tax rates and would rather fight a month later at UFC 269. O’Malley got into a disagreement with UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby, whom he claimed was “acting like a f*cking tool” after he turned the date down, but they hashed things out eventually.
With the promotion wanting New Jersey-born Edgar fighting near his home, they moved on and offered Marlon Vera the fight instead.
“I said what I said on ‘The BrOMalley Show,’ I got into some trouble,” O’Malley said in an interview with The Schmo. “I had a conversation with Sean Shelby a couple days after in person, in Houston at the fights. We’re good now. He didn’t like what I said. I didn’t like what he said. I feel like I’m in a position where if you want me to fight in New York, and I don’t want to fight in New York, I’m not gonna fight in New York. I’m in that position, and I had that conversation, and we’re good now.
“But yeah, I got offered a fight in New York against Frankie, and I said if Frankie wants to get whooped, he can get whooped in Vegas in December, a month later. They want Frankie to fight in New York, so they gave him ‘Chito’ (Vera). Getting the ‘Suga Show’ against Frankie would’ve been a great fight for me, but I’m not too worried about it.”
Related
Cody Stamann lobbies for 'easiest fight in the division' with overhyped 'clown' Sean O'Malley
Sean O'Malley's reason for avoiding ranked fighters is calculated – and makes sense
O’Malley also revealed that despite putting a lopsided beating on tough newcomer Kris Moutinho in July at UFC 264, he’s still healing from a hand injury. Moutinho, on the other hand, is already booked for his next fight.
“I haven’t been offered anything,” O’Malley said. “I just told them, ‘Hey, I want to fight in December,’ and they’re pretty good about when I say this is when I want to fight, obviously in Vegas. No names right now. To be honest, I don’t want to accept any fight. I don’t even care to be offered a fight until my hands are 100 percent. It’s mostly my right hand, my knuckle. It’s a little swollen; it still hurts. I don’t want to accept a fight until I can at least punch Tim’s (Welch) hand without it hurting, so Dec. 11 is still about 15 weeks, so we should be good, but we’ll see.”
One of the biggest rising stars in the UFC, O’Malley turned heads when he explained why he’s not hunting ranked opposition. While he’d love to tangle with former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz next, he won’t be chasing anyone as long as he gets paid the same amount for every opponent.
“Who will it be? Dominick Cruz? Could be, I don’t know,” O’Malley said. “If he wants to fight in December in Vegas, I would love to dance with him. I don’t think it will be Dominick, I don’t think he’ll take that fight. I don’t think that’s a fight that he wants. But if it is, then yeah, that would probably be next. If not, I don’t know, and to be honest, I don’t really care if it’s a top 10 guy, a top 15 guy, a bum on the street. I’m gonna get paid the same. Whoever I beat up, I’m getting paid the same. Don’t care.”
