UFC bantamweight Marlon Vera can see former opponent Sean O’Malley stopping Merab Dvalishvili early when they square off at the Sphere.
O’Malley, the reigning 135-pound champion, is currently gearing up for his second defense of the title since winning it from Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292 in Boston last August. “Sugar” got his divisional rule underway in emphatic style this past March, dominantly outpointing “Chito” in their headlining rematch at UFC 299 in Miami.
Vera will be the first to return to action, battling Deiveson Figueiredo this Saturday in Abu Dhabi. The champ, meanwhile, is slated to put his gold on the line opposite Dvalishvili in the main event of UFC 306/Noche UFC.
O’Malley will look to stall the Georgian challenger’s title ambitions inside the unique surroundings of the Sphere on September 14. And should he connect with a shot early, Vera thinks he has a good chance of doing so…
Vera: O’Malley Could Finish Dvalishvili ‘If He Catches Him Early’
After laying some heavy praise on his most recent opponent, the Ecuadorian gave a dismissive take on Dvalishvili, highlighting the knockdown he suffered opposite Henry Cejudo this past February as evidence he can be knocked out.
“(O’Malley’s) a great fighter. I would be more worried about Merab’s chin,” Vera said. “He’s been dropped by everybody. I mean, if you get dropped by Henry Cejudo, good lord. F*ck, that’s a f*cking four-foot motherf*cker right there. If he (O’Malley) catches him early, the fight could be over.”
O’Malley has shared a similar prediction, vowing to repeat the feat he achieved opposite Dvalishvili’s teammate in 2023 to deliver a statement-making second successful defense in Las Vegas this fall.
Umar Nurmagomedov recently downplayed the comparisons between his prospective bout with Sean O’Malley and the infamous clash between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor at UFC 229.
The victor on August 3 is expected to earn the next title shot, facing off against the champion who emerges from the clash between O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili at Noche UFC in September.
While the reigning UFC bantamweight champion has undeniably ascended to the ranks of the promotion’s premier attractions, Umar believes that a potential bout with “Sugar” could never rival the intensity of the historic Nurmagomedov vs. McGregor showdown in October 2018âŠ
Umar Believes O’Malley Won’t Cross Lines Compared To McGregor
During a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Umar weighed in on the potential excitement surrounding a future bout with O’Malley. The 28-year-old Dagestani acknowledged that while their clash would certainly be intriguing, it wouldn’t match the fervor of his cousin’s UFC 229 matchup with “The Notorious”.
He highlighted that the genuine animosity between the former lightweight champions was unparalleled, making their rivalry iconicâan element that simply doesn’t exist in his case.
“It’s never gonna be close like Khabib and the Conor [fight],” Umar said. “Because they have personal hate. He [McGregor] talked bad about religion, family, and everything.”
Umar further remarked that while O’Malley is known for his trash-talking, he believes “Sugar” won’t stoop to the level McGregor did when he apparently insulted the UFC Hall of Famer’s family and religion.
“I see his personality, but I think he’s not too dirty of a person to talk bad about my family or my religion. But if we fight, it’s like, you know, the Irish vs. Dagestani again. It’s gonna be interesting, but I think it’s not going to be the same⊠I don’t have a lot of hate. I don’t worry about this man, and I just want to beat him. I just want to take his belt.”
Umar has exceeded expectations in his first five Octagon appearances, maintaining his undefeated streak with dominant victories despite setbacks due to injuries.
After a 13-month hiatus, he made a triumphant return this past March, securing a unanimous decision win over newcomer Bekzat Almakhan.
The pair were originally set to collide in Nashville last August, but a dislocated shoulder in training forced Nurmagomedov out. While “The Sandman” defeated replacement opponent Rob Font before heading for surgery to repair a torn tricep, the Russian escaped a scare in his successful return opposite debutant Bekzat Almakhan this past March.
Nurmagomedov will now face a major step up in competition in his pursuit of O’Malley’s gold, and the champion appears to have one eye on the highly touted contender’s rise. Most recently, “Sugar” predicted that the 28-year-old would likely withdraw from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night in the Middle East.
“Iâll tune inâŠif it happens,” OâMalley told MMA Fighting. “We know Umar likes to pull out if something happens. Iâll be surprised if the fight happens.”
Nurmagomedov: O’Malley ‘Praying’ I Don’t Earn A Title Shot
During a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Nurmagomedov looked ahead to the biggest fight of his blossoming UFC career thus far.
Nurmagomedov is sure that neither man wants to face him, and he used the champ’s prediction that he’ll withdraw from the August 3 event as evidence.
“I think they pray,” Nurmagomedov said. “They hope I will pull out and will not take this opportunity to fight for the title. They wish this.
“For me it doesnât matter who wins (out of O’Malley and Dvalishvili). Itâs a very hard fight for both,” Nurmagomedov continued. “One is a wrestling, one is a striker weight height. He is tall. Stylistically, for me, personally itâs very difficult to say who is going to win. I donât know.”
Having made it to fight week for his rearranged battle with “The Sandman,” Nurmagomedov will look to complete the walk this Saturday at Etihad Arena and have his hand raised for his sixth Octagon triumph.
And should he impress, the Russian looks set to have the opportunity to become the UFC”s latest American Kickboxing Academy standout and Nurmagomedov to win gold.
Instead of the T-Mobile Arena, the 2024 edition of Noche UFC will take place inside the unique Sphere venue. For months now, UFC CEO Dana White has promised a sporting spectacle like nothing seen before.
The pair have long gone back and forth over their matchup, and that trend shows no sign of waning as UFC 306 approaches…
O’Malley, Dvalishvili Trade Barbs Over Coach Altercation
“Sugar” and his Georgian challenger recently shared the same space to complete a promotional shoot for the highly anticipated Sphere show.
Unsurprisingly, things threatened to boil over. And as O’Malley and Dvalishvili exchanged words, their fellow UFC 306 fighter Alexa Grasso reveled in the tension…
The point of discussion appeared to surround an altercation between Dvalishvili and O’Malley’s head coach Tim Welch back in May. The incident also involved Aljamain Sterling, who had accused the trainer of heckling him from the corner during his title defeat to “Sugar” last August.
âI will smash OâMalley inside the cage and then smash his coach outside of the cage,â Dvalishvili said.
O’Malley told his upcoming opponent to follow through on his threats.
“If you have a problem with him, you can take it up with him. Heâll fight you. If thatâs what you want. After the fight, you should definitely try to smack his face. You should definitely try that. That would be funny. You should try that.”
When Dvalishvili said he was hoping to catch up with Welch on the streets, O’Malley once again welcomed that possiblity.
“You could street fight him. Iâd love to see that. You want to die? Is that what youâre saying? Heâll kill you.”
UFC Bantamweight Champion Sean O’Malley looks to be extremely high on Paddy Pimblett’s lightweight title chances following this past weekend.
Pimblett was among the most prominent names in action at the UFC 304 pay-per-view, which took place in front of his home crowd at the Co-op Live arena in Manchester, England.
Off the back of decision wins over Jared Gordon and Tony Ferguson, and amid plenty of doubt regarding his ability to compete with the best at 155 pounds, “The Baddy” had his first shot at cracking the rankings opposite King Green.
The result impressed most and has left Pimblett closer to his goal of touching gold on MMA’s biggest stage. And while that target remains a considerable distance and plenty of major victories away, O’Malley isn’t writing the Liverpool native off…
“Sugar” appeared impressed when Pimblett choked Green out cold, and he proved as much by suggesting that the Brit’s improvements could pave the way for a possible title crowning down the line.
“Paddy is f*cking focused, ready to go. Got two kids now. He does have skills, he does have f*cking good skills,” O’Malley said. “He’s out! He put him to sleep! Paddy just put Bobby to sleep! … That was f*cking beautiful. Damn, he’s still sleeping.
“That was sick, bro. Good for him. He answered a lot of questions,” O’Malley continued. “I guess I don’t know how good Bobby’s jiu-jitsu is. I’ve always thought of him as a f*cking brawler, but for Paddy to do that to a guy like Bobby Green is huge. It’s a massive win. … Paddy called out Renato Moicano. … Paddy could definitely be â I mean, if he wins the right fights, he could be champ.”
For now, Pimblett will be keeping a close eye on Tuesday’s rankings update before turning his attention to the upcoming Paris showdown between Moicano and BenoĂźt Saint Denis on September 28.
Sean O’Malley’s bantamweight championship will be on the line when mixed martial arts’ leading promotion arrives at the Sphere for UFC 306 on September 14.
The promotion will stage its sophomore celebration of Mexican Independence Day on September 14. While Las Vegas is once again the host destination, the Octagon will be in a much different environment this time around.
And he confirmed this week that O’Malley will be tasked with closing it out in defense of his belt opposite Merab Dvalishvili. White announced the expected news in a video uploaded to the UFC’s social media accounts on Friday night.
O’Malley Targets Second Successful Defense At The Expense Of Dvalishvili
When the pair share the Octagon inside the unique surroundings of the Sphere, O’Malley will be looking to make Dvalishvili the second victim of his title reign.
O’Malley (18-1, 1 NC) captured the 135-pound gold in memorable fashion last August, concluding the Boston-held UFC 292 pay-per-view event with a shocking second-round knockout of longtime champ Aljamain Sterling. The result brought “Funk Master’s” record-breaking rule to an end and set up the chance for his teammate to avenge the setback.
While he’s had to wait for “Sugar” to settle unfinished business with Marlon Vera at UFC 299 in Miami this past March, Dvalishvili (17-4) finally has his first shot at title glory in mixed martial arts booked in.
Sean O’Malley is arguably more popular than ever after defending his UFC bantamweight title for the first time against Marlon Vera. The champ not only avenged his first UFC loss, but also shut down a ton of doubters.
O’Malley last fought in March 2024 and fans are eager to see him back in the Octagon. At this time, the bantamweight division lacks clear-cut title challengers and Merab Dvalishvili is the only fighter with a strong case.
So, who is O’Malley’s next fight and when will the champ return to action?
Who Will Sean O’Malley Fight Next?
Although the UFC has yet to confirm it, O’Malley will most likely fight Dvalishvili next. He can’t aim for a super fight with Ilia Topuria for the featherweight title because the latter is expected to fight Max Holloway.
“The Machine” and “Suga” have also been calling each other out on social media for quite a few months now. There were strong rumors about their fight being the main event of the Riyadh Season Noche UFC card. However, the bantamweight kingpin has clarified that nothing has been confirmed as of yet.
On July 23, 2024, here’s what O’Malley said about his next fight on his official YouTube podcast:
“Me vs Merab is next. Everyone knows it. We just don’t know when. We don’t know where. And that’s kind of where that’s at.” He added, “I’m very excited about that fight. Still nothing. Waiting for the UFC to, you know, finally kind of tell us what’s next. Is it going to be Sphere? Is it going to be December, we’re all f*****g on our edge of our seats, waiting.”
When is Sean O’Malley’s Next Fight?
O’Malley is most likely to fight in the UFC’s Sphere Event or in December which could be UFC 310. His coach previously claimed that the UFC is finding a new date for Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler, potentially leading to the delay in confirming other anticipated fights.
So, for now, fans worldwide can be very certain about O’Malley’s next fight to be Merab Dvalishvili. However, the fight date and venue are hard to speculate unless the UFC announces them officially.
UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley wasn’t impressed by what he saw from Mike Perry this past weekend in his boxing clash with Jake Paul.
Many expected that “Platinum” could prove to be a tough night for Paul because of his unwavering toughness and mentality but this wasn’t to be the case as he was stopped in the sixth round.
BKFC’s “King of Violence” certainly showed grit on Saturday night but his ability to take damage and keep on coming only got him so far.
Despite feeling like Perry looked somewhat of place in the ring with Paul, O’Malley did reaffirm that there’s a good reason for that.
Sean O’Malley Says That Mike Perry Was Fighting Out Of His Comfort Zone Against Jake Paul
Perry may have been different to Paul’s previous opponents in that he’s an active fighter that isn’t past his prime, but his lack of boxing experience, combined with a size difference between the two men, was simply too much for “Platinum” to overcome.
O’Malley did say that for how the fight ended up going for Perry, you can’t be too surprised given that he was out of his comfort zone in this fight to some degree.
The former UFC fighter has been incredibly successful in BKFC but removing the gloves changes everything specifically in regards to defense and shot selection.
O’Malley spoke on a recent episode of the TimboSugarShow about how just because Perry was outmatched on Saturday night, it doesn’t mean he couldn’t beat Paul if they were to fight in his more natural environment.
“The thing is Mike Perry would probably beat Jake Paul in bare knuckle boxing, that’s where Mike Perry is the f****** man, that’s where he is the champ. He’s the king of that sport so for him to come over into boxing, I didn’t expect too much. I’ve never seen Mike Perry hands up, throw a beautiful 1-2, slip, like that’s not really his style. He definitely didn’t look great.”
Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For July 23, 2024, weâre taking a look at:
Garcia sends a message to the Japanese fans
O’Malley fires back at McGregor and pulls no punches
Patchy Mix headlines Paris again on November 16
Ryan Garcia Announces His Attendance For SuperRIZIN 3 This Weekend Amidst Exhibition Rumors
Ryan Garcia has sent out a message via the RIZIN social media channels to announce that he will be in attendance at SuperRIZIN 3 this weekend.
The Japanese promotion returns to Saitama Super Arena on July 28 where boxing star Manny Pacquiao will be in action against Rukiya Anpo.
The video sees Garcia sending a message to the Japanese fans, when you can hear him over what appears to be construction work taking place in the background.
“Hello, Ryan Garcia here. My announcement is this. I’m heading to Japan. Heading to Japan because I’m going to be at the RIZIN event and I know they’re making noise but guess what? I go louder, I go harder and I cannot wait to meet all my fans in Japan. Arigato from my heart to your heart, I love you. I’mma learn how to say I love you in Japanese. I’mma tell every Japan I love them, konnichiwa.”
"To all my Japanese fans in Tokyo, IâM ON MY WAY! Iâm headed to Super Rizin 3. Stay tuned @rizin_pr"
Sean O’Malley Unloads On Conor McGregor In Recent Social Media Exchange
After they seemingly settled the beef not long ago, Conor McGregor couldn’t resist taking another slight dig at UFC bantamweight Sean O’Malley.
He quoted a post on X with a laughing face emoji that spoke about O’Malley pointing to a recent finding regarding how Ostarine can be transferred through sweat to explain his previous positive drug test results.
“Sugar” didn’t take long to reply and when he did, he appeared to sever any chance of rebuilding this bridge with “The Notorious”.
A pair of back-to-back posts made reference to McGregor’s current form inside the Octagon, UFC 303 withdrawal and referred to him a “drug addict” who “needs rehab”.
Suffice to say that the former UFC champ champ is not going to take these comments lightly.
Miss the old Conor :( you fell off bud. Still a fan tho. I actually donât care you are 1-4 in your last 5 Iâm stills excited to watch. Hope the toe is feeling better. https://t.co/ENSkQw1RmB
Conor isnât in anyone GOAT talk. Entertainment yes but skills, no. Has a really good left hand. Shit Cardio. Weak Jits. Decently athletic. Mentally weak. Drug addict, needs rehab. 1-4 last 5 fights. Still fan tho. Hope toe heals up
Bellator Champions Series Announces Patchy Mix & ‘Baki’ For Paris Event On November 16
The Bellator Champions Series is heading back to Paris on November 16 and so is the bantamweight champion Patchy Mix.
He was last in action this past May where he closed the show at the French capital by defending his title via a controversial split decision win over Magomed Magomedov.
Mix is now set to return for the second time this year when he faces Brazil’s Leandro Higo who is coming off of back-to-back wins.
đ«đ· Baissangour Chamsoudinov đ Oliver Enkamp đžđȘ
Patchy Mix returns to Paris on Saturday November 16, looking to defend his Bellator Bantamweight crown once more against Brazilian number one contender⊠pic.twitter.com/Eo6yOqDIPn
The pair’s main event on DAZN pay-per-view came to a close in the sixth round when Paul followed early knockdowns and frequent success at the expense of “Platinum” with one final damaging flurry to earn the knockout.
Perry, who made his name in the cage, marked the latest mixed martial arts name added to Paul’s record, joining Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley, Anderson Silva, and Nate Diaz in that group.
But not everyone in MMA is against Paul’s boxing approach…
O’Malley Happy To Keep Watching Paul vs. MMA Fighters
During a video recently uploaded to his YouTube channel, O’Malley reacted to Paul’s latest success inside the ring and his unexpected post-match callout.
While many laughed off Paul’s decision to put Pereira’s name on his lips in the ring, “Sugar” had nothing but praise for the callout.
“He called out Alex Pereira. That fight won’t happen unless Dana (White) says, ‘I’m sick of seeing Jake beat all these UFC guys.’ … Imagine Alex Pereira vs. Jake Paul. Dude, Alex has crazy power in both hands, but the dude literally throws from his hips. He is there to be hit,” O’Malley said. “I love the callout. Imagine we get to see that. Imagine Jake Paul goes out there and knocks out Mike Tyson, Jake Paul vs. Alex Pereira, huge.
“Jake looks like he’s improving every single fight. I’m excited to continue to watch him fight,” O’Malley continued. “Jake is doing such a good job. After a fight, the biggest thing is what’s next. You’ve gotta set yourself up for those opportunities, and Jake’s doing that better than anybody right now.”
And the callout wasn’t the only criticism of Paul that O’Malley defended against. He also differed from many with his view on “The Problem Child” continuing to welcome MMA veterans into the ring.
“He hasn’t fought a top let’s say 20 guy in the world; a top-20 boxer in his weight class,” O’Malley noted. “That’s when you’re really gonna be able to see how good Jake Paul is. … I personally enjoy watching him fight these MMA guys. I like those fights. But I’m here for whatever. … I like these crossover fights.”
Paul will move away from focusing on a prominent MMA name for the time being, instead putting his sights back on heavyweight legend Mike Tyson ahead of their rearranged Netflix showdown this November.
1) Mike Perry is a fucking beast and has a lot more balls than that little leprechaun
2) Where all those mma experts at that said Mike Perry was going to end me?
3) Next up is me vs Mike Tyson and Serrano vs Taylor on Netflix, November 15th. It will be the biggest combatâŠ
Should current plans come to fruition, the bantamweight gold will be on the line at the Sphere-held Noche UFC event this fall.
The promotion will stage its sophomore celebration of Mexican Independance Day on September 14. While Las Vegas is once again the host destination, the Octagon will be in much different surroundings this time around.
Instead of the T-Mobile Arena for the second straight year, the 2024 edition of Noche UFC is set to go down inside the unique Sphere venue. In the lead-up, UFC CEO Dana White has promised a spectacle like nothing seen before.
That hype initially left many predicting a stacked lineup to mark the occasion, but it seems those wishing for two blockbuster championship fights at the top of the lineup won’t be getting their wish granted…
Helwani Dismisses Talk Of Both O’Malley & Topuria Defending Titles At The Sphere
Most notably, champions Sean O’Malley and Ilia Topuria have gone back and forth with their respective expected next challengers, Merab Dvalishvili and Max Holloway, over potential Sphere battles.
Unfortunately, it appears that one of those pairings won’t feature at the Sphere.
During a recent episode of his show, The MMA Hour, host Helwani provided an update on the UFC’s fall plans and addressed the rumors floating around regarding the Sphere-held pay-per-view.
“The plan was always the Grasso title defense…and then the plan has for some time been ‘Sugar’ Sean O’Malley vs. Merab,” Helwani said. “Now, both fights aren’t official just yet. They haven’t been signed. But that has been the plan.
“If they did go with that fight, then the other plan would be Ilia vs. Max most likely on the October 5 Utah card (UFC 307), which hasn’t been officially announced yet. Also on that card, we suspect, Julianna Peña vs. Raquel Pennington,” Helwani continued. “Can’t imagine they would put a Spaniard on a Noche UFC card.”
This week also saw White provide additional details on the event, revealing that the plan is for just 10 fights to take place during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.
He also claimed the cost has already exceeded $17 million, supporting Helwani’s mention of finances as the reason why neither the possibility of Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler nor a three title fight card were entertained.
Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For July 12, 2024, weâre taking a look at:
Fans believe Pereira was snubbed over O’Malley
Goggins says Strickland has not replied to his challenge
Gane and Volkov set to meet again at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi
Fans Give Confused Reaction To Sean O’Malley Winning ‘Best UFC Fighter’ At The ESPYs
Whilst some fans questioned whether the period of time that is judged meant that the award was voted this way, many were simply baffled at the idea of Pereira not winning this award regardless of which time frame you want to look at.
“Bro sean has fought 3 ( 4 if you county the Pedro fight) times since 2022. Alex has fought 8 smh they did bad on this”
Bro sean has fought 3 ( 4 if you county the Pedro fight) times since 2022. Alex has fought 8 smh they did bad on this
— đ«đźđđČ đŠđș (@WonderbreadMMA) July 12, 2024
David Goggins Challenges Sean Strickland To Three Days Of Training For Three Rounds Of Boxing
David Goggins vs. Sean Strickland has turned into a surprising social media beef as of late, with both men speaking about one another in videos.
Following the former UFC middleweight champion’s comments about Navy SEALs and Goggins’ military career, the athlete and public speaker issued a challenge to him to test what Strickland is truly made of.
“Sean Strickland, I know you’re doing all this for clickbait. We had a DM the other day, me and you, back and forth. I was pretty much DMing you because you called me a b**** and talked about my military career and going out here once again and trying to, like you said in your DM, trying to be a clown. You’re an MMA fighter and you’re also a comedian so, you know, I’m not much of a comedian at all.”
As seen below, Goggins recently shared a look at the message that he sent to Strickland which has not received a reply as of yet, calling to train and spar with him.
He continued to say that he is done with exchanging videos and that this is his final offer- and whether the former champion takes it or not is up to him.
“You say you can f*** me up in training, I responded to that video to you and this is what I said. You have yet to respond to this and so anytime you want to train with me, I am ready to train with you. I am done with the videos.”
Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov 2 Reportedly Set For UFC 308 In Abu Dhabi
The UFC is heading back to Abu Dhabi in October for UFC 308, as has become a tradition for the MMA leader’s calendar.
A first match-up has been reported for this card with Ag. Fight claiming that former interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane will be facing Alexander Volkov in a rematch on October 26.
Many were expecting to see Gane return on the Paris card in September, after he reportedly turned down the option to fight Tom Aspinall at UFC 304 later this month.
Volkov will be looking to avenge his loss to “Bon Gamin” in 2021 off the back of a big victory over Sergei Pavlovich in Saudi Arabia last month.
Former UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen had an interesting pick for male fighter in his and Daniel Cormier’s recent mid-year awards.
While the real interest in awards comes at the end of each calendar year, there’s been no shortage of action and memorable moments to digest on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage through the first six months of 2024.
In line with that, ESPN recently released its mid-year awards. A 14-person voting panel including renowned journalists like Brett Okamoto and Brett Okamoto voted on a number of categories following UFC 303.
And that event contributed to one result, with 100 percent of the votes for Male Fighter of the Mid-Year going to UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira.
Pereira is the only titleholder to have emerged victorious twice in 2024, with “Poatan” following his knockout of Jamahal Hill in the main event of April’s milestone UFC 300 card with another brutal finish last month, this time at the expense of JiĆĂ ProchĂĄzka on short notice.
While that run would perhaps make the Brazilian an obvious and unrivaled choice, one former fighter sees things differently…
Sonnen Favors O’Malley Title Defense Over Pereira’s Two Knockouts
During a recent episode of his and Cormier’s Good Guy / Bad Guy show on ESPN MMA’s YouTube channel, Sonnen left his co-host in shock with one of his mid-year award picks.
Despite Pereira’s dominant performances against two high-ranked former light heavyweight champs, “The Bad Guy” gave his nod to bantamweight kingpin Sean O’Malley.
“When you look at the Male Fighter of the Year, I’m going with Sean O’Malley,” Sonnen said. “When ‘Sugar’ Sean fought ‘Chito’ Vera, I did not know Sean was that good. I believed that Sean was the best guy in the world. I thought it was competitive; there’s guys that could beat him but he could beat them as well. But when he fought ‘Chito’ Vera and he dominated that…
“To watch the growth that Sean had (from the first Vera fight), not to mention the pressure he had going from the Apex to top of the bill, a $14.1 million gate, and you’ve got to follow the show Dustin Poirier put on,” Sonnen continued. “There was so much pressure on this young man, who is a showman. … Can you back up what you say? Not only did he do it, he did it for 25 minutes. 15 minutes in he could’ve put the brakes on…wasn’t good enough for him. He tried to finish that fight. … I thought it was the total package.”
Sonnen’s pick received a shake of the head from Cormier, who was firm in stating that Pereira is the correct and obvious pick.
Alex Pereira has become one of the biggest stars in MMA after dominating the first half of 2024 đ pic.twitter.com/kg4Rk8mXMv
A fight between Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili for the UFC bantamweight championship is all but confirmed. The fighters have been targeting each other online for months and have repeatedly suggested that they might main event the Riyadh Season Noche UFC event.
O’Malley last defended his title in March against Marlon “Chito” Vera in dominant fashion. Dvalishvili on the other hand, secured his title shot by beating Henry Cejudo in February for his tenth consecutive win in the UFC.
With both fighters and fans worldwide awaiting an official announcement regarding their matchup, O’Malley’s coach has speculated the reason behind the delay from the UFC.
Sean O’Malley’s Coach Blames McGregor vs. Chandler For Delay In Dvalishvili Fight Confirmation
During a recent episode of the TimboSugarShow on O’Malley’s official YouTube channel, he and Tim Welch discussed whether the UFC has an interest in adding McGregor vs. Chandler to the UFC 306 card at the Sphere. If true, this can naturally lead to other major fights being shifted to different events.
“Sugar” highlighted that Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway is also rumored to be an option for the September 14 card. Yet again, the return of the Irishman can impact when and where this fight happens.
“The Sphere, and Dana keeps saying it’s going to be something f*****g crazy, and then you got Conor-Chandler maybe going around, you got Max-Ilia, you got me and Merab. You got f*****g some pretty big fights to possibly make, but honest to god, I have not heard from the UFC,” O’Malley said.
The champ’s coach agreed that the UFC could be eager to organize McGregor vs. Chandler at UFC 306. Because the Dubliner’s commitment has been called into question lately, Welch thinks that the UFC hasn’t been able to confirm the other fights on the card.
“It’s probably a tough thing for the UFC. It’s like, they want to let you know. If they knew, I’m sure they’d let you know right away. But when you’re dealing with someone like Conor McGregor, who’s just, one day he probably wants it, one day he doesn’t, one day he’s just booger sugared up, one day he’s this. They’re probably waiting on that.”
During his iconic run to becoming a double UFC champion, McGregor was known for fighting consistently and not pulling out despite injuries. However, his returns to the Octagon since fighting Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the ring have been the exact opposite.
With nine weeks remaining before the Riyadh Season Noche UFC event, both O’Malley and his coach expect the official announcement for the Merab Dvalishvili fight to arrive as soon as possible should the promotion decide the bantamweight gold will be on the line at the Sphere.
Ireland’s Ian Garry is set to return when he takes on the division’s exciting newcomer in Michael “Venom” Page.
After beating Kevin Holland in his debut at UFC 299 in March, “MVP” will look to shoot up the rankings by taking out Garry in the #7-spot who has spent a lot longer in the promotion, building up his current undefeated winning streak.
Despite the sniper-like striking skills that both men bring to the table, there are some that believe that this fight may not make for the best stylistic clash despite how interesting a fight it is on paper.
Sean O’Malley & Tim Welch Aren’t Sure That The Styles Of Ian Garry And ‘MVP’ Will Gel At UFC 303
On the latest episode of the TimboSugaShow, UFC bantamweight champion and his coach Tim Welch discussed the announcement of this fight.
O’Malley stayed positive on the fight, saying that it should be interesting even if it isn’t a great watch on the night.
“Could be fun, could be fun”
Welch, however, was less confident as he spoke about how them both being counter strikers could make this one a difficult fight to get through.
“I feel like there’s a good chance it’s going to be boring. There’s going to be, I just feel like, watch Ian Garry versus Neil Magny, backing up, backing up. ‘Venom’ Page isn’t the type to stalk someone down and cut them off and put them against the fence and make it a fight.”
O’Malley rounded things out with joking about how both men could retreat until they both hit the opposite sides of the Octagon.
Despite this concern, he is still excited to watch the fight to see who gets the better of the striking exchanges when they do happen.
According to coach Tim Welch, former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo closed the door on a possible main event against a rising contender.
Cejudo hasn’t had the best time of things since returning from a short-lived retirement last May. After narrowly falling short of regaining the bantamweight crown against Aljamain Sterling, “Triple C” fell to 0-2 since his comeback at UFC 298 in Anaheim this past February, where he was beaten by Merab Dvalishvili.
While the latest setback sparked talk of a return to retirement for the veteran, he was quick to commit to the continuation of his fighting career. He’s since been assessing his options, calling to fight the likes of Petr Yan and Rob Font.
He’s also been dismissing some matchups. That was publicly evident in the case of Song Yadong, whose invitation to Cejudo for a showdown in China was shut down by the former champ-champ on social media.
And when it comes to being rejected by the 2008 Olympic gold medalist, “The Kung Fu Kid” is seemingly not alone…
O’Malley’s Coach Claims Cejudo Turned Down Phillips Headliner
A recent report from @MagicM_MMABets on social media claimed that Cejudo was being lined up to headline a UFC Fight Night opposite #11-ranked contender Kyler Phillips.
Phillips, a teammate of bantamweight kingpin Sean O’Malley’s, has won three straight since a controversial loss to Raulian Paiva in 2021, most recently getting the better of divisional veteran Pedro Munhoz at UFC 299 in Miami.
While “Matrix” is pursuing a spot inside the top 10 that a matchup with Cejudo would present an opportunity for, “Triple C” has been accused of rejecting the clash.
UFC bantamweight Sean O’Malley has revealed an event and opponent he’s targeting for his first Octagon appearance of 2022.
After suffering his first defeat in 2020, O’Malley made a splash last year, finishing all three of his opponents and collecting a trio of $50,000 bonuses along the way. Having secured a place in the rankings with his first-round victory over Raulian Paiva in December, it appeared 2022 was set to be a big one for “Sugar.”
Potentially giving up his nine-fight Las Vegas streak, the 26-year-old hinted that his first bout of 2022 could come at UFC 274, which is set to be held on May 7 in Phoenix, Arizona.
Interestingly, the last time O’Malley fought outside of Nevada was five years ago in Phoenix. On that night, he knocked out David Luzzo at LFA 11. He’ll be hoping for a similar result on his return to the city, but if his hopes come to fruition, he’ll be facing his toughest opponent to date, by far.
When asked if he has a name in mind for the event, O’Malley revealed he’s targeting a clash with veteran Brazilian Pedro Munhoz, who is currently ranked three places above the Montana native at #9.
âIâm thinking Pedro (Munhoz) but we will see. Iâm going to make sure I can f*****g train full time and my f*****g s**t feels good,â said O’Malley. (h/t BJPenn.com)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CY4im9ZviMk/
UFC 274 Set To Be Headlined By LW Title Fight
If a bout between O’Malley and Munhoz is added to the May 7 event, the card will grow in strength.
Elsewhere, UFC mainstays Shogun Rua, Ovince Saint Preux, and Donald Cerrone are expected to be in action, along with exciting names like Brandon Royval, Khaos Williams, and Michael Johnson.
While more fights will undoubtedly be announced over the coming weeks and months, fans will certainly now be keeping an eye out for the addition of “Sugar” Sean O’Malley to the PPV.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cav4hTSs0Dt/
Would you like to see Sean O’Malley vs. Pedro Munhoz added to the UFC 274 card?
Sean O’Malley’s next fight remains a hot topic of conversation in the MMA world.
Malley hopes to continue his three-fight winning streak during his next outing in the octagon.
O’Malley Beat Raulian Paiva at UFC 269
“Sugar” Sean’s most recent victory took place back in December at the UFC 269 pay-per-view.
O’Malley picked up a decisive victory over Raulian Paiva. After landing a barrage of strikes, the referee stopped the fight in the first round (TKO). His record improved to 15-1 (the one loss was against Marlon Vera at UFC 252 in 2020).
The win over Paiva improved O’Malley’s standing in UFC, improving his position to the 12th rank in the company’s Bantamweight division. That fight was a test, but he rose to the occasion.
Potential Opponents for the Sean O’Malley Next Fight
As Sean O’Malley climbs the ranks, the attention turns to what’s next for him. The UFC has not yet announced Sean O’Malley’s next opponent, but we can take search the bantamweight division and see who are the likely possibilities.
Here are the top five fighters we feel could be Sean O’Malley’s next opponents:
Image Credit: Dave Mandel of Sherdog.com
Sean O’ Malley Wants to Fight Pedro Munhoz
On his Twitch Channel, Sean O’ Malley revealed he’s interested in fighting Pedro Munhoz at UFC 274 on May.7 at the Footprint Center in Pheonix, Arizona. A fight against Munhoz could be his most challenging fight to date. “I’m thinking Pedro (Munhoz), but we will see. I’m going to make sure I can f*****g train full time, and my f*****g s**t feels good,” said O’Malley (h/t BJPenn.com).
Pedro Munhoz wants to get back into the win column after decision losses to Dominick Cruz at UFC 269 and Jose Aldo at UFC 265 on Aug. 7, 2021. Munhoz is ranked 9th in the division, despite losing 2-fights in a row. While Munhoz is trying to rebound from his failure, O’Malley could attempt to challenge his position in the division.Â
Sean O’Malley (Image Credit: Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Other Possible Opponents for Sean O’ Malley
Ricky Simon is ranked 13th in the bantamweight division. However, he boasts more-recent impressive wins than Sugar. He defeated Raphael Assuncao at UFC Vegas 45 by 2nd round TKO. A win for either Simon or OâMalley may potentially lead to a fight against an opponent ranked higher than them.
Frankie Edgar is a good test for Oâ Malley to fight a former UFC champion. The UFC likes to put younger talent against veterans. Edgar is hoping to rebound from two straight knockout losses. A potential win over Edgar would add an impressive name to Oâ Malleyâs record.
Raphael Assuncao is falling down the UFC bantamweight rankings with three straight losses. However, he is still ranked 15th in the division and has fought some of the best bantamweights in the company. His employers might try to test OâMalleyâs skills against a veteran that seems to be on the decline.
Sean O’Malley has the potential to be a champion in the UFC. It’s only a matter of time before O’Malley crosses paths with one of the men listed above. A victory, especially a first-round victory like his last fight, would put him on the fast track to a title shot.
When is Sean OâMalley’s Next Fight?
Although, he soundly defeated Paiva at UFC 269, fans thought they’d have to wait to see Sean O’Malley’s next fight. After the fight, the medical suspension revealed that he was dealing with a hand injury to keep him from fighting until June.Â
However, O’ Malley hopes to make his UFC return for UFC 274. He wants to fight Munhoz, but he’s unsure if it will happen. The UFC could also have a different opponent and date for Sean O’ Malley’s return.
He has his sights on his division’s championship, currently held by Aljamain Sterling. The Funk Master defends the gold against Petr Yan at UFC 273 on Saturday, April 9, 2022.
Plans for a Fat Contract & “Killing Spree” in 2023
Sean O’Malley has big plans for his fighting career and is biding his time until he can unleash himself. Ideally, he would fight three times per year. Unfortunately, an injury got in the way. He might only get the chance to fight twice in 2022.
In January 2022, O’Malley spoke about his plans on his Suga Sunday Service podcast. The 27-year-old said he would spend the rest of this year getting healthy improving his skills.
Next year, he plans to sign a new big-money contract with the UFC and show the world just how dangerous he can be.
“I’m not too worried about it. Ideally, I get three fights in a year,” said O’Malley. “That’s kind of where my head’s at. I don’t know if it’s more money or if it’s… I think it’s competition, I love competing. But I just want to get back in the gym and improve.”
“So if I only fight two, if I get one in July and November or December, I might only get two this year. Fight out the contract, and then boom, into 2023 with a fat f*cking contract and just go on a killing spree.”
Sean O’Malley says he should be taking it easy on bashing the UFC pay system, but he still wants his fair share.
Sean O’Malley is one of the more popular fighters on the UFC roster. He is loved by many fans and gets a lot of recognition from the media. He demands attention inside the cage and out, and that makes him marketable to the UFC. O’Malley knows all this and would like to see his pay reflect what he brings to the table.
O’Malley spoke recently about fighter pay. The topic has been at the forefront of MMA discussion as of late and O’Malley gave his thought about it. He believes that fighters who don’t put up numbers are not going to be paid well. However, he knows that he is a draw and wants to be paid as such.
But perhaps his speaking publicly about this is not the right way to go about getting his wishes.
“It’s a good question, I get asked it a lot. I learned to not say anything negative about it. This will probably get click-baited, ‘Sean doesn’t think the UFC pays him’ or some s’, but like a lot of the times, yeah. I’m in a different position where I have two fights leftin my contract,” O’Malley said on his podcast, Timbo Sugar Show (via Sportskeeda). “The contract I’m on right now, I get paid decent, but in two fights, Dana went on record and said, ‘Hey, we need to f–ing pay him’ which is rare because Dana never says that. So I think I’m going to get a good contract after these two fights.”
Fighter pay was not the only money topic O’Malley weighted in on recently, as he spoke about the rise in PPV prices as well. Too much criticism is not good for any employee, and it seems that is what O’Malley is getting at. However, he is not just going to lay down and allow the UFC to steamroll him. He wants to be paid like one of the more important fighters because he believes that’s what he is.
“That’s why I argue that I should be getting f—ing paid more. Because dude, I mean realistically, whoever I’m fighting next, I don’t have to sell that fight because I’m not gonna get paid any more if five people watch it or a million people watch it,” O’Malley explained. “There should be incentives there⊠You do if you’re in the main event and you get pay-per-view points. Like Izzy [Israel Adesanya] will probably get pay-per-view points because he’s the champ. Robert Whittaker probably won’t because he’s fighting for the belt. But like even in my position, I should get pay-per-view points because I can sell fights.”
O’Malley recently saw his way into the top 15 of the bantamweight rankings. However, despite not being ranked until recently, he has been featured on six main cards and all on PPV events, once he was even in the co-main.
O’Malley definitely has drawing power, and he plans to use it to his advantage. All things considered, it would seem unlikely that the UFC will not be paying up.
Do you think Sean O’Malley has a point about fighters getting paid, and himself needing more?
Rising UFC bantamweight star Sean O’Malley believes the UFC would remain the best MMA promotion, even if its top stars departed.
Not too long ago, serious talk surrounding fighter pay and the possibility of elite stars exploring free agency would have been largely unheard of, bar a few “rebels” in that regard. Now, the topic is one of the most widely debated and discussed in the sport by fans, pundits, and fighters.
The man behind the latest surge for additional contractual benefits is “the baddest man on the planet,” Francis Ngannou. Leading up to the first pay-per-view of 2022, the heavyweight champion’s quarrel with the UFC was public, with his manager suggesting it goes far beyond just money.
Ngannou’s unification showdown with Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 represented the last fight on his deal. While a defeat would have likely seen him depart the promotion, a victory would secure a strong negotiation position, both in the context of his own desires, and the greater pursuit of improved contracts for fighters on MMA’s biggest stage.
Israel Adesanya, Nate Diaz, and Conor McGregor are likely to fight out their active deals this year. With that in mind, Helwani questioned what would happen if they all decided to test the waters of free agency.
According to Sean O’Malley, not much…
During a recent episode of his YouTube podcast, the #12-ranked 135lber suggested the UFC could lose all of its top stars and still remain the best promotion in the sport of MMA.
“The UFC could lose all those motherf*****s and still be the best,” said O’Malley. “They’ll still have the biggest names, still do the biggest numbers, it’s crazy… I think the UFC does it the best.” (h/t Sportskeeda)
O’Malley Defended Dana White On Fighter Pay
O’Malley’s comments come after he defended Dana White and the UFC’s stance amid the rising controversy on the current fighter pay structure.
âDude, like I donât even blame Dana. Itâs like, some of these f*cking people have zero following. Theyâre not making the UFC one hundred thousand,” O’Malley said during an episode of the TimboSugarShow. “I mean, theyâre not making the UFC fifty thousand. Theyâre not making the UFC any money really. But thatâs from a business perspective, from Danaâs business perspective, I can see that.â
O’Malley was last in action at UFC 269 in December, where he impressively finished Raulian Paiva via first-round TKO. As well as earning a place in the rankings, the Montana native seemingly secured a handsome pay rise, as teased by Dana White in the aftermath of the event.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CY4im9ZviMk/
While Ngannou and perhaps a number of others will be considering a move away from the UFC this year, one man who appears more than happy with his current situation is O’Malley. If a mass exodus of stars does happen, “Sugar” certainly expects to still be part of the “best” promotion in MMA.
Do you agree with Sean O’Malley? Could the UFC lose its top stars and remain the MMA leader?
UFC bantamweight contender Sean O’Malley has revealed why he’s not keen on sharing cards with MMA’s biggest superstar Conor McGregor.
In 2021, O’Malley rebounded from his first defeat in professional MMA with three wins, three finishes, and three bonuses in as many appearances, all of which helped “Sugar” rise into the 135-pound rankings. As far as years go, the last 12 months haven’t been too shabby for the Montana native.
While he recorded brutal knockouts against Thomas Almeida and Raulian Paiva, perhaps O’Malley’s most complete performance of 2021 came against promotional newcomer Kris Moutinho at UFC 264, a pay-per-view headlined by McGregor and Dustin Poirier’s trilogy clash.
On his way to a third-round TKO stoppage, which came with less than 30 seconds until the final horn, O’Malley broke records with his slick striking and opened the event’s main card in Fight of the Night style.
While the majority of fighters on the UFC roster would love to be on a card headlined by McGregor given the incredible number of eyes and exposure drawn to it, O’Malley sees things differently.
Believing he no longer needs the help of McGregor to bring fans’ attention to his performances, O’Malley suggested he’d much rather be the main attraction, rather than the Irishman’s understudy.
Given his belief that no one other than the former two-divison UFC champion sits above him when it comes to stardom and drawing power, O’Malley expects to be the lead interest if he avoids sharing cards with McGregor.
âIâd rather fight with less attention on the card. Iâd rather fight on a non-Conor card,” said O’Malley. “Because no matter what, even if I go out there and perform beautifully and (Conor) breaks his foot or whatever, itâs all the ESPN, Sportscenter, everythingâs just gonna pick up Conor. So for me, Iâd prefer to be on a smaller cardâbasically not Conor. I feel like everyone else Iâm bigger than.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CX14GhFvzUG/
Having accelerated his rise up the bantamweight ladder in 2021, O’Malley will hope to join the elite at 135 pounds when he returns to the cage this year.
Rising UFC bantamweight star Sean O’Malley has given his take on the upcoming unification showdown between champion Aljamain Sterling and interim titleholder Petr Yan.
While it may have been initially delayed after Sterling underwent neck surgery and later pulled off the UFC 267 card last October, we finally appear set to see the two rivals settle their score inside the Octagon.
But while the Russian is in hot form and is yet to be beaten in the UFC outside of his DQ setback, one ranked 135lber is warning against counting Sterling out.
During an appearance on Michael Bisping’s Believe You Me podcast earlier this month, O’Malley insisted Sterling is too “smart” to make the same mistakes and follow the same game plan he brought into UFC 259 last year. While “Sugar” doesn’t necessarily believe “Funk Master” will beat Yan, he does believe the champ has the tools to do it.
“Aljamain Sterling’s gotta see that, gotta recognize that, and come in with a different game plan,” added O’Malley. “I think Aljamain has skills, and he has the skills; he could beat Petr. I don’t necessarily see it happening, but I’m not counting him out. He’s a top, top bantamweight for a reason, and I think it’s gonna be a very interesting fight.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CYLfci5rx4x/
While his status as champion has been disputed and looked down upon by some, Sterling’s ability can’t be denied, as was proven during his run before facing Yan. His five straight victories prior to UFC 259 included triumphs against Sandhagen, Pedro Munhoz, Jimmie Rivera, and Cody Stamann.
While Yan will be looking to regain the undisputed belt he doesn’t believe he rightfully lost, Sterling will be hoping to prove many in the MMA community wrong at UFC 273 and legitimize his place on the bantamweight mountaintop.
Who do you think will leave UFC 273 as the undisputed bantamweight king, Aljamain Sterling or Petr Yan?
Said Nurmagomedov is looking to fight Sean O’Malley next.
Nurmagomedov picked up the biggest win of his UFC career on Saturday night at UFC 270 as he submitted Cody Stamann in less than a minute. The win put him to 4-1 in the UFC and is now on a two-fight winning streak.
After the win, Nurmagomedov said he wanted to return in April and had targeted O’Malley or Marlon Vera.
âI want to fight before Ramadan,â Nurmagomedov said after UFC 270. âIâm ready to be back soon. I also heard that the (UFC) is going to be in Brooklyn on April 9, and I want to fight there… Any top opponent. Iâve talked about âChitoâ Vera before, but any top opponent.”
Although he mentioned Vera, Nurmagomedov now took to social media to call out O’Malley and says he has been offered the fan-favorite twice.
“Hey @SugaSeanMMA UFC offer you to me 2 times, your chicken ass never responded run. What we’re gonna do now? I wanna kill your hype,” Nurmagomedov wrote on social media.
Although Nurmagomedov claims he has been offered to fight O’Malley, “Suga” has not responded so it’s uncertain if that is true. It also seems unlikely that O’Malley would take a step down to fight someone lesser-known after being ranked and calling out big names like Dominick Cruz, Cody Garbrandt, and Rob Font among others.
If he doesn’t get the fight, Said Nurmagomedov hopes he can fight before Ramadan and face a big-name opponent. He could very well face a ranked opponent, as he likely deserves the chance to enter the top-15 after his last performance, but it probably won’t be against O’Malley. “Suga” also has a hand injury and has said he wants to fight in the summer in Las Vegas.
Do you think the UFC will book Said Nurmagomedov vs. Sean O’Malley?
âSugaâ Sean OâMalley has inserted his two cents into the UFC’s contract negotiations with Francis Ngannou.
The conflict between Ngannou and the UFC has been marinating for about a year. To put it simply, Ngannou has been asking for more money and more freedom.
“Dude, if youâre gonna go out there and just talk [expletive] about the boss and the company you canât just expect no backlash…And I donât wanna say talking [expletive] in a bad way. I guess heâs just talking facts but it is talking [expletive] and you canât do that to the UFC. You canât do that to Dana. You canât do that to your boss.â
O’Malley also defended White not putting the belt around Ngannou’s waist after the fight. In all fairness, Dana has since claimed that he had urgent business in the back he had to deal with. What that business is? We do not know, as he did not explain further than that.
White also indicated that he has no issue with Ngannou at all, contrary to the common perception that trailed the event.
Francis Ngannou is now set to have surgery on his right knee, which was injured coming into his UFC 270 title defense against Ciryl Gane.
As for Sean O’Malley, the outspoken bantamweight last competed at UFC 269 in a first-round TKO win over Raulian Paiva, which earned him Performance of the Night honors.
Do you agree with Sean O’Malley’s take on Francis Ngannou’s comments about his UFC negotiations?
If you keep up with the fighters on social media, you know that O’Malley and Strickland have some conflict with each other.
Sean Strickland, noted for his outlandish comments, has not shied away from stating his honest opinions about Sean O’Malley. Last year, the controversial fighter ridiculed O’Malley for his tattoo choices and association with rapper Tekashi 69 via Twitter.
“@SugaSeanMMA woke up one day and said “you know that guy who snitched on all his friends, did something shady with minor, yeah that guy I want him to tattoo his name on me” lol!! You know @SugaSeanMMA walks around holding his pocket lol!!!,” Strickland tweeted in December.
@SugaSeanMMA woke up one day and said "you know that guy who snitched on all his friends, did something shady with minor, yeah that guy I want him to tattoo his name on me" lol!! You know @SugaSeanMMA walks around holding his pocket lol!!!!
However, it is highly unlikely the two will ever meet in the cage. Sean O’Malley, 14-1-0, fights at bantamweight, and Sean Strickland, 24-3-1, fights in the middleweight division. But a spar between the two could simmer Strickland down.
Let O’Malley tell it, he cannot fathom the intensity of fighters like Strickland. Sparring viciously outside of the Octagon seems like a waste of his time and threatens the longevity of his career. (h/t Pundit Arena).
âI remember him, he was on fucking streak, no one was beating him. Heâs been good for a long ass time. It would be a pain in the ass to have him as a sparring partner though. You know youâre just fighting every time.
âI feel like Iâve gotten to a spot where Iâm not going to fight dude, Iâm not getting into a fistfight with this guy if Iâm not getting paid. Iâm not doing it. Itâs not good for my brain, itâs not good for my body, I only have a certain amount of scraps, and I think everyone does, and Iâm not going to waste them in the gym,” Sean O’Malley explained on his podcast.
