If you’re looking to win some extra cash this coming weekend don’t bet on Sean O’Malley to defeat Thomas Almeida at UFC 260 live on ESPN+ PPV from Las Vegas.

This is according to O’Malley himself, who is instructing fans to exclude him from their combat bets. O’Malley will be fighting Almeida on the PPV main card in a crucial meeting of strikers in the UFC’s jam-packed bantamweight division.

O’Malley, who is one of the most popular young fighters in UFC today, is coming off a disappointing TKO loss to Marlon Vera back in Aug. 2020. It was a bit of a let down for O’Malley who was quickly being built as the next big thing only to have Vera pull off the upset. “Sugar” did suffer an apparent leg injury prior to the TKO finish, but the rising star still caught considerable flack for his performance.

Leading into UFC 260 and coming off the first loss of his professional career, O’Malley is telling fans to keep him out of their bets this weekend. After seeing the ridicule O’Malley received after his loss to Vera it’s hard to disagree with his stance.

”I would tell you guys to bet on me, but I said that last time and I STILL get messages from people saying I owe them a thousand bucks.” O’Malley told Helen Yee ahead of UFC 260. “So don’t bet on me. Bet on Thomas. Bet on Thomas to win. There you go.”

O’Malley, 26, believes his loss to Vera was a fluke. In fact, the brash bantamweight has been reluctant to even call it a defeat. Some have disagreed with O’Malley’s reaction to the Vera fight, but there’s no denying his focus entering UFC 260 this weekend, especially against a fellow striker like Almeida.

”I’m healthy. I feel good. I’m so excited for this fight. I think it’s going to be a badass kickboxing fight,” said O’Malley. “I don’t think he will try and come out and wrestle me. He’ll gas himself out. He’s not going to be able to take me down. I think it’s going to be a good kickboxing fight and I just don’t see how I don’t put his lights out.”

If O’Malley is able to defeat Almeida on a PPV card led by Stipe Miocic vs. Francis Ngannou 2 then he should be able to rebound quite nicely at 135 pounds. But if “Sugar” suffers another setback inside of the Octagon his hype train may officially derail.

For more UFC 260 fight card news click here.

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