The Russian gave a mirror answer, stating that his teammate, Umar Nurmagomedov, would beat the American.
“Umar will beat Sahark,” Makhachev wrote on social media.
Sean O’Malley’s next opponent will be Ecuadorian fighter Marlon Vera, whom he will face on March 9 at UFC 299 in Miami, while Umar Nurmagomedov, ranked fourteenth in the lightweight division, plans to return to the octagon on February 17, but can’t find an opponent yet.
Islam Makhachev, who tops the organization’s rankings of the best fighters regardless of weight class, announced his desire to share the octagon with Leon Edwards a week ago after the Brit successfully defended his UFC welterweight championship belt with a unanimous decision over Colby Covington.