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Dominick Cruz has responded to Sean O'Malley's callout asking for a fight on December 11. The former UFC bantamweight champion said he is currently looking to fight someone ranked above him, and O'Malley certainly doesn't fit the bill. He went on to wish O'Malley luck in finding a ranked contender for his next outing inside the octagon.
"I have a date with someone that is ranked up ahead of me stud. Same thing you’re looking for. So I get it. May the force be with you in figuring that one out for yourself," Dominick Cruz wrote on Twitter.
Despite being 6-1 in the UFC, 'Sugar' is yet to break into the top 15 in the bantamweight division. Understandably, Sean O'Malley wants to fight a former champion like Dominick Cruz next. A win against Cruz would have gone a long way in establishing O'Malley as a legitimate contender in the division.
Sean O'Malley wants a better contract for taking on ranked contenders
The fact that O'Malley hasn't been able to break into the bantamweight rankings yet has a lot to do with the fights he picks. O'Malley recently said that he doesn't want to fight ranked contenders because of the high risks and low rewards. According to 'Sugar,' he gets offered the same amount to fight ranked contenders as he does for taking on unranked fighters.
It makes more sense for him to fight easier opponents and make the same amount of money. O'Malley will be ready to face ranked contenders if the UFC offers him a better contract.
"For me, I have a contract to fight a certain amount of fights, and I’m gonna get paid a certain amount of money whether I fight Louis Smolka, the dude I was supposed to fight, or I fight Petr Yan, the No. 1 bantamweight in the UFC. I get paid the same. I’m gonna fight this dude and I’m going to fight this dude on a Conor McGregor pay-per-view," Sean O'Malley said on the No Jumper podcast.
O'Malley is currently expected to take on Brian Kelleher in his next fight. O'Malley's coach even reached out to Kelleher, asking him if he's free for a December date. The matchup hasn't been confirmed yet and O'Malley's latest callouts indicate he's looking to fight a ranked contender next.
