“Anything in this world is possible” if Sean O’Malley could become UFC champion, claims bantamweight star Ricky Simon
Since Ricky Simon's last appearance, the bantamweight belt had changed hands. As such, Simon gives his opinion of Sean O'Malley's title win.
Ricky Simon mocks Sean O'Malley's title win (via IMAGO/Instagram)
Sean O’Malley is arguably the biggest star in the UFC bantamweight division. His winning the bantamweight title had only uplifted his fame. Especially since his title win was one of the biggest upsets in 2023. Now, fellow bantamweight Ricky Simon reflected on ‘Suga’ becoming the champion and shared his views on it.
Ahead of his fight in UFC Las Vegas 84, Ricky Simon mocked Sean O’Malley’s title win. ‘Suga’ won the title in UFC 292 by defeating the then-champion Aljamain Sterling. As such, although Simon didn’t voice it out directly, he hinted at O’Malley’s title win as a fluke. At first glance, his words looked like praise, but when you consider Simon’s tone, it turned out to be mockery. Here is what Simon said:
Inspirational – if Sean O’Malley can become a world champ, literally anything in this world is possible... So let’s go, Sean.Ricky Simon via UFC Las Vegas 84 Media Day
Ricky Simon and Sean O’Malley were on a collision path when ‘Suga’ was on the rise. However, they never met in the octagon. Once, after an impressive win over Jack Shore, Simon called out ‘Suga.’ He did so in a taunting way, calling O’Malley the easiest fight in the division. But, the matchup never materialized as O’Malley went on to beat Petr Yan and then win the UFC title against Aljamain Sterling.
Even though Ricky Simon didn’t get his desired matchup with Sean O’Malley, he got a chance higher in the rankings against Song Yadong. But, he failed to utilize it as he lost the fight via TKO. So, now ranked #13 in the bantamweight division, Simon takes on a prospect, Mario Bautista, this weekend. As such, he looked to return to the winning column.
Ricky Simon reveals being unbothered about online criticisms
Ricky Simon had a great rise in the UFC to earn himself a ranked spot in the bantamweight division. However, he couldn’t break into the top ten. Somehow, he lost the important matches of his career, like his fights with Urijah Faber, Rob Font, and recently Song Yadong. As such, many criticized him for not putting up a fight against Yadong. Now, he has revealed his thoughts about those criticisms.
In the media day of UFC Las Vegas 84, Ricky Simon claimed to be unbothered about online criticisms. As such, he revealed not being much of an online person. On that note, he boldly stated he didn’t care about what others were saying and just wanted them to enjoy his show. Here is what he said:
I’m not somebody who has a crazy presence on social media where I’m like, ‘What are they saying about me?’ I don’t give a f*ck what the fans are saying. Go ahead and sit back and watch.Ricky Simon (via UFC Las Vegas 84 Media Day)
Ricky Simon racked up five wins before losing to Song Yadong in 2023. Now, once again, he looked confident in climbing up the ladder. As such, he faces Mario Bautista in UFC Las Vegas 84, defending his spot in the rankings.
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Nidhin Shibu
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