Sean O’Malley Makes Bold Claim, Calls Ilia Topuria the Greatest Fighter Ever
Sean O’Malley has never been afraid to make headlines with his words, but his latest statement may be his boldest yet. Speaking about Ilia Topuria, the reigning two division UFC champion, O’Malley declared, “Ilia is P4P the greatest fighter to ever walk this earth. Even over Jon Jones.” For O’Malley, who often praises fighters for their unique skills, this is a huge endorsement of a man who has only just begun his run at the very top.
Topuria’s last three fights have completely changed the shape of his career and the UFC landscape. First, he shocked the world by knocking out Alexander Volkanovski to claim the featherweight title, ending one of the most dominant reigns in modern UFC history. He then defended that belt against Max Holloway, earning a convincing win over one of the greatest featherweights of all time. Most recently, he made the jump to lightweight, where he stopped Charles Oliveira to capture the vacant 155-pound championship and cement his place in history as a two-division king.
Is O’Malley Right?
Whether or not Topuria is already the greatest fighter ever is up for debate. Jon Jones still holds the longest résumé of dominance, Georges St-Pierre and Anderson Silva left legendary legacies, and Khabib Nurmagomedov retired undefeated. Still, O’Malley’s point reflects the sheer impact of Topuria’s rise. Beating Volkanovski, Holloway, and Oliveira in consecutive fights is one of the most impressive three-fight runs in UFC history, and he did it all while remaining unbeaten.
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For O’Malley, who knows firsthand what it means to be in the spotlight, Topuria represents the new standard of greatness. His blend of knockout power, ground skills, and fearlessness across weight classes may very well make him the fighter of this era. Whether he has already surpassed legends like Jon Jones is uncertain, but if he keeps winning at this pace, O’Malley’s bold claim may not sound so outrageous in the years to come.
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