PFL icon makes case for Ilia Topuria being a 'bigger star' than Sean O'Malley ahead of UFC 306 title fight
11/09/2024 16:22
UFC bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley returns to title action this weekend when he headlines The Sphere against Merab Dvalishvili, which has been billed by Dana White as a 'once in a lifetime' PPV with some $20 million already invested into the show.
Whilst 'Suga' is unquestionably one of the UFCs biggest active superstars, especially given how he's set to headline this spectacular new arena at UFC 306, there are those within the MMA community who believe that there's a bigger needle-mover just 10lbs above him, Ilia Topuria.
PFL icon says O’Malley is a bigger star than Makhachev or Pereira
Manchester's own Brendan Loughnane is 30-5 as a pro-MMA fighter and having won multiple world titles, including the PFL featherweight tournament, it's safe to say that he knows what it takes to become a promotional superstar.
Yet even as Sean O'Malley prepares to headline Noche UFC this weekend, fans have been arguing over how much star power 'Suga' actually has; with Loughnane claiming via TalkSport MMA that the flashy striker has more pulling power than Israel Adesanya, Islam Makhachev, and even Alex Pereira.
"He talks the talk, fights the fight, he's got his podcast, and all of his media is bang on, he looks different, he's got the hair, got the style, got the image – he is, right now, the total package.
"When I look around the UFC [roster] with Izzy recently losing, Jon Jones being inactive, Islam just doesn't have the star power like Sean, and I mean who else? [Alex] Pereira has obviously got that stone-cold crazy aura about him, but he doesn't appeal as much to the younger generation and the kids."
Loughnane stated that whilst the light heavyweight champion is more of a "hardcore fight fans fighter," O'Malley has "got it all happening" in terms of the younger demographic and the business side of the UFC.
So, if not Poatan, Adesanya or Makhachev – who would Loughnane say is a bigger draw than 'Suga'?
Brendan Loughnane argues Ilia Topuria is a bigger star than Sean O'Malley
Aside from the rather obvious answer of a 'Notorious' Irishman, there's only one other fighter who the PFL icon believes is a bigger star than Sean O'Malley, the Spanish-Georgian sensation – 'El Matador'.
"Do you know what, there's one man we're missing out here in this conversation, Ilia Topuria – I'd put him above Sean right now, I really would. He's f***** walking out in front of the [Santiago] Bernabeu.
"Ilia Topuria has just knocked out our guy Volk, who is pound-for-pound wherever you put him in the conversation, he [Topuria] is doing the same thing that Sean is doing… I would put Ilia Topuria above Sean O'Malley right now just to the fact of the way he finished Volk."
Loughnane continued, revealing that his rather bold take is also based on various bits of information that he's received from his manager, who works with the current UFC featherweight champion.
"I just know what's going on… I know the type of deals that he's getting, I know the type of circles he's moving in, he's had less fights than Sean in the UFC and I just feel like his train is moving faster at the minute.”
Topuria is also in preparation for his own world title fight against Max 'Blessed' Holloway, which is set for the main event of UFC 308 on October 26.
"Sean's got great finishes along the way, and I'm talking personally here, [but] this Ilia Topuria thing and the train that's moving at the minute – I don't want to keep going on about the Bernabeu thing, but do you know how big that is? That is humungous."
Loughnane himself progressed to the finals of the 2024 PFL featherweight tournament earlier this year with a split decision win over Kai Kamaka III – the finals will be contested in November, with the English star set to take on Russian fighter Timur Khizriev.
