Sean O’Malley reacted strongly to recent comments made about him by Deiveson Figueiredo, the former flyweight titleholder.
Figueiredo will be fighting in the bantamweight division for the second time, facing former champion Cody Garbrandt at UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, April 13.
Prior to his return to the Octagon, Figueiredo suggested in an interview that O’Malley might not be able to defeat his next bantamweight rival, Merab Dvalishvili.
“I don’t think this fight between Merab and Sean O’Malley is going to happen,” Figueiredo said on MMA Fighting’s Trocação Franca Podcast. “I think [O’Malley] is a man who will never be able to defend his belt again. If we win this battle [at UFC 300], there is a possibility that they will compete for the belt, right? I want to fight Merab for the belt. I would give him a very dangerous fight.”
O’Malley responded to Figueiredo’s comments in a manner that raised eyebrows among fight fans.
“Davison Fagilito was scared of me,” O’Malley wrote in a post about X that has since been deleted.
Using overt homophobic slurs about Figueiredo was not well received, leading O’Malley to swiftly remove the comment. This came amid recent scrutiny of O’Malley following on-camera anti-Semitic remarks.
Sean O’Malley hints at September return with The Sphere
While the exact date for O’Malley’s title fight against Merab Dvalishvili is unknown, the Helena, Montana native hinted at a September return, likely at The Sphere in Las Vegas during UFC 306.
Meanwhile, Figueiredo’s success in the bantamweight division has positioned him in the top 10 after defeating Rob Font. A victory over Garbrandt at UFC 300 could set him up for a title shot at 135 pounds.
