Uncrowned Umar Will Give 'Suga' A Title Shot

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Nurmagomedov's manager says O'Malley makes the most money for everyone, and therefore he deserves a title shot once Umar takes the belt off Merab Dvalishvili.

Sean O'Malley may be closer to winning his bantamweight title back than he thinks.

The former 135 pound champion lost his belt to Merab Dvalishvili in the main event of UFC 306. It was a flat and uninspired performance, one that wasn't anywhere near good enough to earn him an immediate rematch. Instead, it looks like Umar Nurmagomedov will be first up for Dvalishvili.

But if Umar wins the title? According to Nurmagomedov's manager Ali Abdelaziz, he will welcome Sean O'Malley into the No. 1 contender's circle.

"I would like Sean O'Malley to do this, take as much time as he wants off," Abdelaziz told ESPN. "I believe Umar will beat Merab, and after that, Umar will give him a title shot coming off a loss."

For Abdelaziz, this isn't about 'deserves' but about business.

"I think Sean O'Malley is one of the biggest stars in the sport," he said. "This is a business about making money, and I think Sean O'Malley deserves a title shot coming off a loss. Do you know why? Because Sean O'Malley makes everyone in the division money. Not Merab. It's not Umar yet. Umar will be, though, because Umar has two billion people behind his back. He will be the second Khabib."

"Umar will fight anybody, can be Petr Yan or Figueiredo, but this is about making money ... Listen, Figueiredo and Merab, nobody gives a s—. Petr Yan and Merab, nobody cares. Umar and Merab, people care. Umar and Sean O'Malley, people care."

Will the UFC listen to Ali's suggestion? It wouldn't be the first time by a long shot that money has factored into their decision on who gets a title shot. Merab Dvalishvili had to fight twice as many times to earn his shot because the promotion didn't perceive him as a bankable star. Guys like Conor McGregor and Israel Adesanya? They practically trip over title fights.

For now, Umar Nurmagomedov will have to hope Merab Dvalishvili agrees to fight him in a timely fashion. Then he has to win against "The Machine," which is a tall order as well. Sean O'Malley is taking nearly a year off to rehab an injured hip. So it's a bit early to be declaring "Suga" as Umar's first title defense. But Abdelaziz's idea makes the UFC money, so we bet they see the sense in it as well.