Newly crowned UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley is contemplating a future in the world of boxing, but his ambitions have sparked a swift response from boxing sensation Ryan Garcia.

Garcia, a rising star in the boxing world, delivered a succinct message on social media to O’Malley, advising him to stick to his lane in mixed martial arts. This message triggered a reply from O’Malley, which alluded to Garcia’s knockout loss to Gervonta “Tank” Davis earlier this year. Garcia followed up with a challenge for what he deemed a “tuneup fight.”

This exchange comes after O’Malley expressed his interest in a high-profile boxing bout in an interview with GQ Sports in May. He mentioned both Ryan Garcia and Gervonta Davis as potential opponents. Witness the boxing world champions in action with attractive betting odds from Nextbet. 

O’Malley stated, “If I ever do a boxing match I think it’ll be similar to when Conor [McGregor] fought Floyd [Mayweather]. When it’s the pay-per-view king in the UFC vs another pay-per-view king in boxing.” He believed that a match with Garcia or Davis could be a reality in five or six years and that he had the skills to overcome the challenge.

Interestingly, Garcia holds a different viewpoint, suggesting that an MMA fighter would struggle in a boxing ring. On the contrary, O’Malley argued, “MMA fighting is definitely harder than boxing,” and he pointed out the rarity of boxers transitioning to MMA.

O’Malley recently clinched the UFC 135-pound title with a second-round TKO victory over Aljamain Sterling in the main event of UFC 292. At just 28 years old, he is regarded as one of the brightest talents in MMA and is poised for a long reign in the bantamweight division.

While a showdown between O’Malley and Garcia may not be on the horizon, the UFC champion has already set his sights on his next opponent. During his post-fight interview, O’Malley issued a challenge to Marlon “Chito” Vera, the last fighter to defeat him in the Octagon three years ago. Vera also emerged victorious at UFC 292, and O’Malley proposed a December clash in Las Vegas. Get the latest updates from the world of boxing only on Nextbet Sports.