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UFC Star Sean O'Malley Eyes Crossover Fight With Dana White's Zuffa Boxing

Originally posted on MMA on SI | By Drew Beaupre | Last updated Feb 3, 2026 9:24 AM ET

Former UFC Bantamweight Champion Sean O’Malley is keeping a close eye on the development of the Zuffa Boxing brand.

The UFC kicked off its 2026 schedule and new deal with Paramount with back-to-back numbered events the last two weekends, but UFC CEO Dana White has also been busy promoting his newest venture; Zuffa Boxing, which was a concept he first proposed in 2017 during the lead up to the boxing match between Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Zuffa Boxing has finally gotten off the ground this year with a pair of shows at the recently-renamed Meta APEX in Las Vegas, and plenty of combat sports fans are curious to see just how much success White’s newest endeavor will experience.

Sean O'Malley Thinks Zuffa Boxing Needs A "Superstar"

Speaking on his YouTube channel (h/t Happy Punch), O’Mally revealed that he’s been keeping tabs on Zuffa Boxing and thinks the promotion needs to sign a truly established fighter if it wants to make significant waves in the sport.

“Zuffa boxing – I’m so curious where this is gonna go," O'Malley said. "I’ve been seeing all the promotions, and I’m like ‘God, it’s gonna take them f***ing signing a superstar.’ Like someone that just captivates, someone you’re like ‘I gotta watch him fight.’”

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The first Zuffa Boxing main event saw Callum Walsh extend his undefeated record to 16-0 with a unanimous decision over Carlos Ocampo, and last weekend Jose Valenzuela took home a “Performance of the Night” bonus when he defeated Diego Torres in the headlining bout for Zuffa Boxing 2.

"Suga" Open To Zuffa Boxing Opportunities

Zuffa Boxing does potentially open up more realistic opportunities for UFC fighters to step into the ring, and O’Malley says he’d be very interested in testing himself against a reasonable level of boxing competition.

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“I would love to transition into a little bit of boxing. I wouldn’t even care if it’s like a huge deal, like 'Suga' vs. Gervonta [Davis]. That would be sick, I’d love to do that. I’m 1-0 boxing. Find me a f***ing 5-0 boxer, build me up slowly…I wanna get paid reasonably, you’ve gotta pay me. I’m not gonna be “I want $5 million, I want $10 million.’”

One of the bigger stars currently on the UFC roster, O’Malley won the promotion’s bantamweight belt in 2023 when he stopped Aljamain Sterling in the second round at UFC 292. “Suga” defended his belt once against Marlon Vera before losing his title to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306.

The 31-year-old got an immediate chance to reclaim the belt last June and was submitted by Dvalishvili in the third round, but O’Malley returned to the win column at the first UFC event of 2026 when he took a unanimous decision over Song Yadong in the co-main event of UFC 324.

This article first appeared on MMA on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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