Sean O'Malley: "How can you clown on me?" - Aiemann Zahabi’s unfiltered response leaves Sean O’Malley under fire

Aiemann Zahabi edged Marlon Vera by split decision at UFC Vancouver to secure his seventh straight victory, and then turned his attention to Sean O’Malley.

Zahabi believes that beating the division’s top-ranked fighter, even one on a two-fight skid against champion Merab Dvalishvili, would finally earn him a title shot. O’Malley, however, reacted online with mild confusion, dismissing the matchup before later addressing it on his channel.

Zahabi answered that dismissal with sharp words on The Ariel Helwani Show, by drawing attention to his active streak and O’Malley’s recent setbacks. He said:

"How can he clown on me? I just won seven straight. He just lost two straight. He can't clown on me. Listen, it benefits him beating a guy who just won seven straight, right? Plus, I'm going to be 38 in a few weeks, man. Does he want a layup? Doesn't he need like a little layup? Does he need some help? You know, does he need something to make him look good? Beat an old guy like me, man. I've got seven straight, you know."

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He added:

"Come fight old Uncle Aiemann, huh? Get over here, little guy. Give him a little noogie in the fight, you know what I mean?... Listen, me and Sean at the White House! Trump's birthday. Canada versus U.S. Canada wins, we get the United States. United States wins, we give them Canada. It's on the line. Put it on the table. It's big stakes, guys. It's big, big stakes. Listen, it's going to be a fun matchup. It's the same reason why I wanted to fight Marlon."

Check out Aiemann Zahabi's comments below (13:50):

Aiemann Zahabi doubled down on Sean O’Malley callout after UFC Vancouver win

Aiemann Zahabi wasted no time calling out former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley after his win at UFC Vancouver.

The American responded with a short video, seemingly mocking the idea. However, Zahabi believes O'Malley might be interested in the matchup.

Zahabi is sure that beating O’Malley would push him toward a title shot as Merab Dvalishvili continues to clean out the division. Speaking at the UFC Vancouver post-fight press conference, he said:

"I'm confident in any matchup. I'm in the top 10 now... With the way things are going with [bantamweight champion] Merab [Dvalishvili], he’s clearing out the division. Not to sound negative... Sean O'Malley is a great fighter and all that, but he fought Merab twice, so I don't think he's up next for the belt... There are some guys that will get the title fight before Sean O'Malley because he lost to Merab two times, and I don't mean that in a disrespectful way. I feel like I have the opportunity to fight someone that's No. 1, so I want to take it."

About the author

Abhishek Ramadasan Nambiar is a journalist who covers MMA at Sportskeeda. As a long-time practitioner of various martial arts, seeing the fusion of different forms into a quest for the ultimate fighter felt both primal and profoundly technical. At Sportskeeda, Abhishek's primary goal is to offer a fresh and distinctive angle through his writing, aiming to provide readers with more than just the basics of MMA. Along with keeping them informed about the latest developments in the sport, he strives to offer valuable insights that enhance their understanding of MMA.

When not writing about MMA, Abhishek often spends time reviewing music or devouring Brian Evanson's and Blake Crouch's work. Sign up to receive news, regular updates, and exclusive coverage.

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