O'Malley defeated Marlon Vera by unanimous decision on March 9 in the main event of UFC 299 in Miami, USA. After the fight, the American stated his desire to make a foray into the featherweight division for a title fight with Elijah Topuria.
"What a piece of shit! I'm so pissed off right now, just furious. I'm pissed that he's not challenging me to a fight!
I'm the number one contender - fight me, man! If you're so good, show it to the world. But you're just a scared little punk. He prefers to call out someone who doesn't want to fight him," BJ Penn quoted the Georgian as saying.