Sean O’Malley, a notable UFC bantamweight fighter, responded with just one word after learning that Marcus McGhee had accepted a short-notice bout at UFC Vegas 72.
Despite having only a 6-1 professional MMA record, McGhee is slated to make his UFC debut at the upcoming UFC Vegas 72 event on April 29, 2023.
Originally, the UFC Vegas 72 fight card included a bantamweight bout between Brian Kelleher and Journey Newson. However, Kelleher had to pull out of the fight due to an injury earlier this week, leaving Newson without an opponent.
Marcel Dorff, an MMA journalist, was the first to report that Marcus McGhee agreed to a short-notice fight against Journey Newson at UFC Vegas 72.
The fight will take place at a catchweight of 140 pounds. Newson’s most recent fight was a unanimous decision loss against Sergey Morozov at UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Strickland in December 2022.
On the other hand, McGhee won his last MMA bout by third-round TKO against Luciano Ramos at LFA 149 in January 2023. UFC bantamweight Sean O’Malley also reacted to the news with a one-word response.
Sean O’Malley has expressed admiration for his colleague Marcus McGhee on his official Twitter account after accepting a short-notice fight against Journey Newson at UFC Vegas 72.
O’Malley replied to a tweet that acknowledged McGhee’s agreement to the fight just three days before the event.
Beast
— Sean O'Malley (@SugaSeanMMA) April 28, 2023
What’s next for Sean O’Malley?
After winning a split decision against former UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan in a back-and-forth showdown at UFC 280 in October 2022.
Sean O’Malley currently stands at the No. 2 spot in the official UFC bantamweight rankings. His victory over Yan has made many believe that he is now a top contender for the bantamweight title.
In the meantime, Henry Cejudo, a former UFC champion in both the flyweight and bantamweight divisions, is preparing to make his return to the octagon.
The fighter, also known as “Triple C,” retired from mixed martial arts in May 2020. But is now slated to challenge Aljamain Sterling, the current UFC bantamweight champion, for his title.
The Sterling-Cejudo bout has been announced as the main event of UFC 288. Which is scheduled to take place on May 6, 2023.
Given the factors discussed above, it is widely believed that Sean O’Malley has a strong chance of securing a shot at the UFC bantamweight title.
It is widely speculated that O’Malley will face the winner of the upcoming bout between Aljamain Sterling and Henry Cejudo. Which is set to take place on May 6, 2023, at UFC 288.
Both Sterling and Cejudo have expressed their interest in fighting O’Malley in the past, and the young fighter has also been vocal about his desire to compete against both of them.
