Vinicius Oliveira will difficulty a problem to former UFC champion Sean O’Malley after his UFC 318 conflict with Kyler Phillips this Saturday in New Orleans, however advises “Suga” to show it down.
Oliveira has gained three straight since debuting within the promotion in 2024, together with a pair of bonuses for his performances towards Bernardo Sopaj and Stated Nurmagomedov, and predicts a fast end over top-ranked bantamweight Philips to be a turning level in his UFC journey.
“I’ll combat a prime 12 now and show I’m a prime 12,” Oliveira informed MMA Combating. “I don’t see myself preventing a prime 10 subsequent, I think about myself already preventing a prime 5. If not for the belt already. I don’t have a lot left to show within the division. Have a look at the blokes I’ve fought, look what I’ve executed to them. I had some hassle towards Stated—I fought injured, in his house, and gained a call. Have a look at Ricky Simon, look what I did to Bernardo Sopaj. I’ll beat Kyler Phillips now and develop into a prime 12, after which I wanna face a prime 5.”
“I don’t assume it’s going to be potential to get such a soar in my profession already, however possibly it’s,” he continued. “I began towards Ricky Simon, which was already a huge soar. Who can say they gained’t give me one other gigantic soar? I imagine so. Simply placed on a present, say what must be stated in entrance of the cameras there, and I imagine they can provide me a prime 5.”
Oliveira desires to be a part of the deliberate Battle Evening card in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Oct. 11, however acknowledges that will lower the percentages of any top-ranked 135-pounder agreeing to dealing with him in enemy territory. Subsequently, he’s open to flying anyplace on the earth for that chance towards a star like O’Malley, who appears to rebound from back-to-back title combat losses to Merab Dvalishvili.
“I don’t assume anybody within the prime 5 would wish to combat me as a result of I’m down there [in the rankings],” Oliveira stated. “The man I wanna combat is fearful of me, he gained’t combat me, and that’s Umar Nurmagomedov. OK, I’ve dominated that out already. The champion, Merab, they gained’t give me that. That’s additionally dominated out. There’s a very good probability I combat Sean O’Malley. He’s nice, a whole fighter—not that full, however good and versatile. And he has a giant title within the UFC although he’s not in a very good second within the UFC. He’s a phenom.
“If he buys the concept, this combat occurs. All of it relies on the trash discuss, on how I promote this combat. But when I had been him, I wouldn’t take the combat. Or possibly he does as a result of he wants a win. If he fights a prime 5, in principle these guys are the most effective of the division, they’re harder than those under. Perhaps the percentages of him dropping are larger — in his eyes, not mine.
“If he fights a prime 12 it might be simpler for him to get the win he wants than if he fights a prime 5. What he doesn’t know is that possibly the blokes from down the rating are hungrier to maneuver up. That starvation makes us harmful. I’m harmful as a result of I’m hungry for the highest. I don’t know if he’ll settle for it or not. He has two choices, but when I had been him… I’d do it, however possibly if I had been him I’d not as a result of he has extra to lose than win.”
If not O’Malley, the opposite choice up the rankings Oliveira suggests is Marlon Vera, and he even affords to “let him combat at his walk-around weight.”
“I’ll make weight and he can come at any weight he desires,” Oliveira stated. “Straightforward.”
Both method, Oliveira expects a giant combat subsequent after he “places on a present and wins quick” towards Phillips at UFC 318.
“He’ll come try this boring sport of his,” Oliveira stated, “Attempting to take me down or attempt to stand with me and understand he gained’t be capable of, after which he finally ends up knocked out quicker than he anticipated. He is aware of he’s getting knocked out, proper? Perhaps I’ll knock him out quicker than he thinks.”
