Kamaru Usman Criticizes Sean O’Malley’s Desire to Fight Ryan Garcia, Labeling It a “Gimmick Fight”

Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman didn’t hold back on his recent Pound 4 Pound podcast, where he laid into the idea of Sean O’Malley stepping into a boxing ring with Ryan Garcia. Usman vehemently opposed the notion, emphasizing that O’Malley should focus on his bantamweight division and build his legacy before considering a switch to boxing—even if it’s temporary.

Usman’s argument centers around the fact that O’Malley competes in one of the deepest divisions in the UFC. With a slew of contenders waiting for him, O’Malley should prioritize cementing himself as a great within his weight class before entertaining “gimmick fights” in another sport. Usman stated:

“Why are we even entertaining this right now? Sean O’Malley has a whole, like literally, one of the deepest divisions to even get through. You have one of the deepest divisions of contenders waiting for you. How about we beat up a couple of guys in my division first and cement myself as a great in my division, cement myself first before I’m even entertaining these gimmick fights. Sean O’Malley has a couple of contenders he needs to get through first.”

Kamaru Usman is not on board with the idea of Sean O'Malley crossing over to the boxing ring 🥊🚫#UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/YJTil6DbDn
— Sportskeeda MMA (@sportskeedaMMA) April 26, 2024

The Ryan Garcia Connection

The tension between O’Malley and Ryan Garcia escalated after Garcia’s recent shock win over Devin Haney. Both fighters have expressed their desire to face each other in a crossover boxing match. However, Usman’s stance is clear: O’Malley should stay focused on his UFC career and leave the boxing ring for later.

Sean O’Malley’s Controversial Comments on Conor McGregor

In the same podcast, O’Malley also weighed in on UFC superstar Conor McGregor’s return to action. He speculated whether McGregor would take his upcoming fight seriously and expressed a desire to see an unhinged version of “The Notorious.” O’Malley drew parallels to Ryan Garcia’s behavior during promotional events, which was initially misinterpreted as a lack of focus—only for Garcia to dominate in the ring against Devin Haney.

While the idea of O’Malley vs. Garcia remains intriguing, Kamaru Usman’s words serve as a reminder that building a legacy within one’s division should take precedence over flashy cross-sport matchups.