After capturing bantamweight gold, Sean O’Malley has become the number one target in the division with numerous contenders all eager to get their hands on the champion. Stylistically, it seemed ‘Sugar’ had the odds stacked against him when he stepped into the octagon for his first shot at UFC gold. Aljamain Sterling had sat on the throne for two and a half years before the matchup but it didn’t take long for the challenger to impose his will and secure the upset knockout win . O’Malley is now preparing to make his first defense of the belt but that didn’t stop him from exchanging words with a different contender in his division. The brief social media altercation was arguably the fault of Islam Makhachev’s after the lightweight king insisted Umar Nurmagomedov would beat the champion. Umar beats Suga — Makhachev Islam (@MAKHACHEVMMA) December 24, 2023 This, of course, captured the attention of Sean O’Malley who insisted Umar would be easy work for him