Dana White Says Star Isn’t Ready: ‘That’s Not How It Works’

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Dana White isn't the only person the UFC that makes huge decisions.

UFC president Dana White isn’t convinced that an unranked star is ready for a big step up in competition.

“Sugar” Sean O’Malley is slated to open the UFC 269 main card on December 11, 2021. The popular fighter will take on fellow bantamweight Raulian Paiva.

O’Malley has a professional MMA record of 14-1 and he’s two fights removed from his only defeat, losing to Marlon Vera via first-round TKO at UFC 252 in August 2020. Since then, O’Malley has earned two third-round finishes, knocking out Thomas Almeida at UFC 260 in March 2021 and TKOing Kris Moutinho at UFC 264 in July 2021.

GettySean O’Malley (L) kicks Marlon Vera in their bantamweight bout during the UFC 252 event at UFC APEX on August 15, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

And should O’Malley defeat the unranked Paiva on Saturday night, he’ll likely set himself up for another PPV match. But don’t expect it to be against someone with a number beside their name. In an interview with Barstool Sports during UFC 269 fight week, White compared O’Malley’s rise in the promotion to Khamzat Chimaev. Chimaev, one of the fasting rising stars in the sport, has had only four fights in the promotion and is currently ranked No. 11 at welterweight.

Although Sugar has dominated most of his UFC opponents, it hasn’t been near the same magnitude that Chimaev has. “Borz” has two wins at both middleweight and welterweight and the Russian has finished all of his opponents within two rounds.

Chimaev has only been hit with one significant strike in his UFC tenure, an incredible stat.

“He’s not ready,” White said of O’Malley via MMA Fighting. “You guys wanna throw him to the wolves. You don’t move somebody that fast unless they’re Khamzat Chimaev. Khamzat is a guy you’ll feel comfortable moving that fast. I mean, O’Malley just lost a couple of fights ago to (Marlon Vera). So, talking about bigger fights and all that s***, this is a tough fight for him on Saturday night. In his last fight, he looked incredible, he put on a clinic. I think because O’Malley’s so popular and whatever, you’re always gonna have the critics that give this kid s***.”

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White Said O’Malley Is Working His Way Up ‘The Way You’re Supposed to Do It’

“He’s a tough kid, he’s fun, he’s exciting to watch,” White continued. “But he’s making his way the way you’re supposed to. You don’t just turn O’Malley around and throw him in there against killers. That’s not how it works.”

Since earning a KO victory on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2017, Sugar has fought seven times in the UFC. He holds finishes over four of his opponents, defeating the likes of Eddie Wineland and Thomas Almeida.

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Paiva Is Riding a 3-Fight Win Streak

GettyRaulian Paiva

Paiva will enter the Octagon opposite O’Malley and he’ll bring into it the momentum of a three-fight win streak.

The streak includes decision victories over Kyler Phillips and Zhalgas Zhumagulov, as well as a KO of Mark De La Rosa. He has a professional MMA record of 21-3.

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