Former UFC bantamweight champion sean O’Malley has made a bold prediction regarding a potential Demetrious Johnson comeback to the UFC.

O’Malley is preparing for his rematch against UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 316. Their first fight was at UFC 306. The second chapter of their rivalry will take place in Newark.

In preparation for UFC 316, O’Malley has intensified his training camp, bringing in several UFC legends. O’Malley has also adjusted his lifestyle, believing previous habits hindered his performance at UFC 306.

Demetrious johnson, who retired from MMA last year after a title win with ONE Championship, joined O’Malley’s training camp.

O’Malley Believes Johnson Could Beat Pantoja

Following Johnson’s retirement and induction into the ONE Hall of Fame, UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja challenged him. After his victory over Kai Asakura, Pantoja called out Johnson, seeking a chance to reclaim the title Johnson held during his dominant UFC reign.

after training with Johnson, O’Malley believes Pantoja would face a tough challenge if Johnson returned to fighting.

During a recent interview,O’Malley shared his prediction for a potential Johnson versus Pantoja matchup.

“If DJ wanted to come back and fight Pantoja, you can’t count DJ out, you just can’t. That would be a vrey competitive fight and I wouldn’t be surprised if Demetrious won,” O’Malley said.

“He’s still got it! He’s 38, still explosive, fast, skills are still there. He very well could come back, but he just mentally doesn’t want to go through a fight camp.”

“And I get it, they’re brutal. You do it as many times as he’s done it, done everything he’s done, making good money on YouTube and living a good life. If you don’t have that hunger inside you, the desire to try to do this, you shouldn’t do this. And he’s smart enough to go ‘Alright, I don’t need that’.”

Johnson holds numerous records in the UFC’s flyweight division.A likely future UFC Hall of Famer, johnson defended the flyweight belt a UFC record 11 times, with five submission wins in UFC title fights, also a promotional record.

“If DJ wanted to come back and fight Pantoja, you can’t count DJ out, you just can’t. that would be a very competitive fight.”

Johnson Declined Pantoja’s Invite After UFC 310

Johnson declined pantoja’s challenge despite reportedly receiving a $2 million offer from an unnamed source. Since retiring, Johnson remains active in Brazilian jiu-Jitsu and content creation.

O’Malley aims to rebound in his UFC career following his loss to Dvalishvili at UFC 306. O’Malley will seek to make a statement at UFC 316.

The impact of Johnson’s presence in O’Malley’s training camp remains to be seen.