Umar Nurmagomedov hopes 'bigger name' Sean O'Malley beats Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306

ABU DHABI – Umar Nurmagomedov sees more upside in a UFC bantamweight title fight with Sean O'Malley than Merab Devalishvili.

Nurmagomedov (17-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) says he’s been promised a title fight if he can get past Cory Sandhagen (17-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC on ABC 7 (ABC, ESPN2, ESPN+) main event at Etihad Arena.

O’Malley (18-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) defends his bantamweight title against Dvalishvili (17-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC) on Sept. 16 in the Noche UFC main event, and Nurmagomedov would rather fight O’Malley for the title if both are victorious.

“I don’t know. It’s difficult,” Nurmagomedov told reporters, including MMA Junkie, at UFC on ABC 7 media day. “For me, it doesn’t matter. I can fight with both. With Merab, I think he will try to take me down, but I will strike with him. In striking, he’s not good. With Sean, I will do whatever I want.

“For anybody, I think it’s hard to say who’s going to win between them. I wish O’Malley wins, I think he has bigger name. But for me, it doesn’t matter fighting with Merab or with O’Malley.”

Nurmagomedov likes that his fight is just a month prior to O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili, lining him up perfectly to fight the winner.

“Yes, it’s very good,” Nurmagomedov said. “It’s very good they fight next month. I will try to go to see this fight at the Sphere in Las Vegas. I want to watch this fight, and I hope I will fight with the champion like beginning of next year – January, February, before Ramadan. It’s going to be very good time.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 7.