UFC debutant Osmanli calls Sean O'Malley 'easy' before throwing a single Octagon punch

Mehemmedali Osmanli has not yet fought in the UFC, but the Azerbaijani bantamweight prospect is already mapping out a path to former champion Sean O’Malley — and doing so with considerable confidence.

Osmanli (11-1) is scheduled to make his Octagon debut on Sept. 26 at UFC Vegas 121 against fellow promotional newcomer Ilimbek Akylbek Uulu (9-3) of Kyrgyzstan. Speaking at media day ahead of the card, the 11-fight veteran wasted no time setting his sights beyond the first bout.

“I hope I finish him easily,” Osmanli said of Uulu. “And then I want to fight Abu Dhabi card, October 24. Maybe Top 15 someone…”

When pressed on who specifically he had in mind at 135 pounds, Osmanli did not hesitate: “I can beat easy Sean O’Malley.”

O’Malley, the former UFC bantamweight champion, remains one of the division’s marquee names. Calling him an easy fight — before a single Octagon appearance — is a bold opening statement from a prospect still unproven at this level.

Osmanli does arrive with momentum. He has won nine consecutive fights, six of them by finish, since 2022. That run has earned him a UFC contract, but the jump from regional competition to the world’s premier MMA promotion is a significant one, and Uulu represents a genuine test before any bigger ambitions can be entertained.

The plan, as Osmanli laid it out, is straightforward: finish Uulu on Sept. 26, secure a spot on UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 24, crack the bantamweight top 15, and eventually get his hands on O’Malley. Whether the Octagon agrees with that timeline remains to be seen.