Tag: Sean O’Malley

O’Malley Has A Question For Dillashaw After “Too Many Holes” Comment

UFC bantamweight Sean O’Malley doesn’t understand why TJ Dillashaw turned down the chance to meet him in a Submission Underground fight (SUG). O’Malley was last in action at UFC 264 in July. In the main card opener, “Suga” faced promotional newcomer Kris Moutinho. His original opponent, UFC veteran Louis Smolka, was forced to withdraw through […]

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UFC bantamweight Sean O’Malley doesn’t understand why TJ Dillashaw turned down the chance to meet him in a Submission Underground fight (SUG).

O’Malley was last in action at UFC 264 in July. In the main card opener, “Suga” faced promotional newcomer Kris Moutinho. His original opponent, UFC veteran Louis Smolka, was forced to withdraw through injury.

Despite a gritty performance from the debutant, O’Malley delivered a record-breaking striking masterclass on his way to a third-round TKO finish. Having taken home a Fight of the Night bonus last time out, the 26-year-old will be looking to bag another $50,000 when he’s next in action. A recent tweet from Brian Kelleher suggests O’Malley will be facing “Boom” in December.

Kris Moutinho O'Malley
PHOTO: MMA FIGHTING

While he waits for confirmation of his next opponent, O’Malley still has one top-ranked bantamweight on his mind. Last month, “Suga” claimed TJ Dillashaw turned down a SUG fight against him ahead of the former UFC Bantamweight Champion’s return to action.

During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, O’Malley discussed the failed booking. The surging 135-pound star revealed his surprise that Dillashaw turned down the chance for a tune-up fight before his return to the Octagon, especially after his recent comments suggesting that O’Malley has “holes” in his game.

“I got offered Dominick Cruz and TJ [Dillashaw].  I mean, they offered me a couple different people, but I’m not gonna go grapple some random-ass guys. It’s gonna obviously benefit me. So they offered me TJ and Dominick. And I said hell yeah to both those, and then Chael [Sonnen] said they both said never mind, or they said no. So I don’t know what really happened. Obviously, communication’s huge, and they could be getting lost, but yeah, they offered me TJ, and I said yeah.

“And then TJ says I have too many holes in my game. If I have holes in my game, why not go and choke me out real quick? And that was before he competed recently. That was a couple months before he competed. So I thought maybe he would want to get a little tune-up, easy choke on me. But I guess not,” said O’Malley.

After serving a two-year suspension following a positive test for EPO, Dillashaw made a successful comeback at UFC Vegas 32 in July. Showing his intentions, the 35-year-old returned against one of the best in the division. Opposite Cory Sandhagen, Dillashaw overcame early adversity in the form of a deep cut and a knee injury, and he went on to secure a tight split decision victory in the headlining bout.

Having jumped straight back into the 135-pound rankings at #2, the Californian is anticipating a shot at gold once he’s recovered from knee surgery in early 2022. He’s expected to face the victor of Aljamain Sterling’s championship rematch against Petr Yan at UFC 267 next month.

Who do you think would win a Submission Underground fight? Sean O’Malley or TJ Dillashaw?

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Sean O’Malley Gives Insight into Recent Chat with Conor McGregor

Sean O'Malley Conor McGregorUFC bantamweight Sean O’Malley finally got to meet one of his inspirations in former champion Conor McGregor at a recent NFL game between the Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Chargers in Inglewood, CA. After meeting him, O’Malley took a lot from the conversation that boosted his confidence moving forward in his young career. O’Malley is […]

Sean O'Malley Conor McGregor

UFC bantamweight Sean O’Malley finally got to meet one of his inspirations in former champion Conor McGregor at a recent NFL game between the Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Chargers in Inglewood, CA. After meeting him, O’Malley took a lot from the conversation that boosted his confidence moving forward in his young career.

O’Malley is fresh off of a dominant performance against Kris Moutinho at UFC 264, a card in which McGregor headlined in his trilogy with Dustin Poirier. O’Malley didn’t get a chance to meet McGregor face-to-face amidst the fight week chaos but did get a chance to chop it up with one of the most polarizing personalities in the sport’s history.

During a recent podcast episode, O’Malley talked about what it was like getting to have a private conversation with McGregor.

“One thing he did say was that [my] last fight was a beautiful performance,” O’Malley said. “Like dude, I have elite-level striking. I have some crazy shit that people just can’t do. An elite-level striker like Conor sees that. Izzy sees that. They’re fans of, not even me, (but) of just what I’m capable of doing.”

“So it was cool. It was cool finally meeting Conor. He was probably the only person that I really have taken a lot of inspiration from.”

O’Malley has quickly become one of the biggest young stars in the UFC, stemming from his time on Dana White‘s Contender Series. He currently doesn’t have a fight booked after allegedly turning down a potential bout with Frankie Edgar for later this year.

McGregor is currently in the middle of recovery from the devastating leg injury he suffered at UFC 264 and is planning for a return to the cage in 2022. Judging by his recent chat with O’Malley, it sounds like we could see both returning sooner rather than later.

What are your thoughts on who Sean O’Malley should fight next?

Rising Star Sean O’Malley Reveals Details Of McGregor Conversation

At last Sunday’s Dallas Cowboys road game against the Los Angeles Chargers, the enigmatic Sean O’Malley and former double champ Conor McGregor had a private conversation. On Monday, O’Malley grabbed the world’s attention after he posted a video of himself and “The Notorious” on social media speaking privately. As you could expect, mass speculation began to take […]

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At last Sunday’s Dallas Cowboys road game against the Los Angeles Chargers, the enigmatic Sean O’Malley and former double champ Conor McGregor had a private conversation.

On Monday, O’Malley grabbed the world’s attention after he posted a video of himself and “The Notorious” on social media speaking privately. As you could expect, mass speculation began to take place about what they could have possibly been discussing.

Currently, the pair of fighters are separated by at least two weight classes. O’Malley, like McGregor, created quite the buzz when he began his hot streak in the UFC. With his nonchalant demeanor and sense of style, O’Malley is steadily becoming one of the UFC’s biggest names.

While the 26-year old did not divulge the entire conversation, at least he gave fans a taste of the interaction between two of the best strikers on the UFC roster. On his YouTube channel, O’Malley gave his immediate thoughts on the conversation he had with the UFC’s biggest cash cow.

“One thing he did say was that [my] last fight was a beautiful performance. Like dude, I have elite-level striking. I have some crazy s*** that people just can’t do. An elite-level striker like Conor sees that. Izzy sees that. O’Malley said. They’re fans of, not even me, (but) of just what I’m capable of doing.”

While McGregor did not admit he was a fan of O’Malley personally, he certainly paid respect to the striking prowess of the young up and comer. Overall, the interaction was fun to see considering these two are some of the biggest, most high-profile names in the organization at the moment.

“So it was cool. It was cool finally meeting Conor. He was probably the only person that… he’s really someone I really have taken a lot of inspiration from.” O’Malley concluded.

The last time they were in action, O’Malley and McGregor shared a card together. At UFC 264, “Suga” was paired with Kris Moutinho, a short-notice replacement. The fight kicked off the marquee PPV and was a complete striking masterclass. As a result, O’Malley walked away with a standing TKO victory against the UFC newcomer.

Now, two of the UFC’s golden geese have met in person, and O’Malley continues to draw inspiration from the legend, Conor McGregor. With O’Malley’s eyes fixated on a new opponent, perhaps we will have confirmation of his next fight very soon.

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O’Malley Says Dillashaw Proved Him Wrong With “Inspiring” Performance

UFC bantamweight Sean O’Malley has praised TJ Dillashaw for his performance against Cory Sandhagen at UFC Vegas 32 in July. Dillashaw, who is a former two-time UFC Bantamweight Champion, was making his return to the Octagon after more than two years on the sidelines. The 35-year-old had tested positive for EPO following his defeat to […]

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UFC bantamweight Sean O’Malley has praised TJ Dillashaw for his performance against Cory Sandhagen at UFC Vegas 32 in July.

Dillashaw, who is a former two-time UFC Bantamweight Champion, was making his return to the Octagon after more than two years on the sidelines. The 35-year-old had tested positive for EPO following his defeat to Henry Cejudo in 2019. The failed drug test resulted in a lengthy suspension for Dillashaw.

But adding doubt to the existence of ring rust, the Californian looked close to his best against Sandhagen. Without taking a tune-up fight, Dillashaw jumped straight into the deep end against “The Sandman,” who was ranked #2 in the division at the time. After battling some early adversity in the form of a knee injury and a deep cut, Dillashaw found his rhythm and grinded out a split decision victory.

Despite some suggesting Sandhagen should have had his hand raised, most agreed that Dillashaw’s performance was worthy of praise. Sean O’Malley is the latest individual to marvel at his peer’s return display.

During a recent appearance on Ariel Helwani’s The MMA Hour, “Suga” addressed the questions surrounding Dillashaw’s comeback. However, he suggested the 35-year-old answered them with one of the greatest performances he’s ever seen.

“Honestly, it was one of the sweetest performances I’ve seen, especially coming back, coming off so many question marks of, is he gonna have the cardio, is he gonna have the push, is he gonna have that same mindset with needles in his butt? He did. He was mentally there for 25 minutes, hurt his knee early on, was getting pieced up early on, and found a way to win. So that performance was actually very inspiring. It was really impressive, really good to watch.

“I was questioning. I didn’t know where he’d be. I was like, ‘We’ll see.’ I thought he wouldn’t have that same push, that same drive, that same cardio, and he did. So I was actually very impressed with that performance.”

Despite praising Dillashaw, O’Malley probably wouldn’t have been pleased to hear the former champ’s comments about him last month. While he may only be 26, Dillashaw suggested “Suga” has too many holes in his game to become a champion.

O’Malley will look to prove Dillashaw wrong, starting with his next appearance. Having defeated promotional newcomer Kris Moutinho at UFC 264 in July, the surging bantamweight star is on the hunt for an opponent for UFC 269 in December.

The Montana-born star was offered an intriguing clash with Frankie Edgar at UFC 268. However, the date clashed with a grappling tournament his coach Tim Welch is set to attend. Nevertheless, O’Malley looks set for one more fight before the close of this calendar year.

If he can rack up a few more wins, perhaps he can secure a meeting with Dillashaw inside the Octagon before the former champion calls time on his career.

What did you make of TJ Dillashaw’s return to action at UFC Vegas 32? Do you agree with Sean O’Malley?

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VIDEO | Conor McGregor Chats With Sean O’Malley At Dallas Cowboys Game

Conor McGregorSean O’Malley finally got the chance to meet Conor McGregor on Sunday at the SoFi Stadium where the Dallas Cowboys vs. Los Angeles Chargers NFL game took place. ‘Suga’ posted a video to social media that showed him chatting away with McGregor. Unfortunately, the clip has no sound so we don’t know the exact details […]

Conor McGregor

Sean O’Malley finally got the chance to meet Conor McGregor on Sunday at the SoFi Stadium where the Dallas Cowboys vs. Los Angeles Chargers NFL game took place.

‘Suga’ posted a video to social media that showed him chatting away with McGregor. Unfortunately, the clip has no sound so we don’t know the exact details of the conversation, although we’re sure O’Malley let everyone in on the details at a later date.

The bantamweight prospect has made no secret of his admiration for McGregor. O’Malley previously revealed that he is modeling his career on that of the Irish superstar.

“Conor [McGregor’s] career, they did pretty well with as far as building him up,” O’Malley said in March 2020. “It’s a business. It’s a career. You can only fight for so long. You’ve got to make as much money as you possibly can. So we’re going to look at it like a business and go from there.”

‘Notorious’ is currently healing up after breaking his leg in the first round of his third fight with Dustin Poirier back in July. The 33-year-old has begun to walk again unaided and will likely start training again in the coming weeks for his eagerly anticipated Summer 2022 return to fighting.

O’Malley is currently on the lookout for a fight date and opponent. The 26-year-old turned down the chance to take on Frankie Edgar at UFC 268 on November 6. He has since requested a fight with Dominick Cruz at UFC 269 on December 11, although it remains unclear if his wish will be granted.

What do you think Conor McGregor and Sean O’Malley spoke about?

O’Malley Reveals His Thoughts As Moutinho Refused To Quit At UFC 264

Sean O’Malley has shared what was going through his head during the three-round demolition of Kris Moutinho. During the aftermath of UFC 264 on July 10, company debutant Kris Moutinho managed to gain a huge following despite being on the losing end of a dominant Sean O’Malley display. Moutinho’s ability to take damage and keep […]

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Sean O’Malley has shared what was going through his head during the three-round demolition of Kris Moutinho.

During the aftermath of UFC 264 on July 10, company debutant Kris Moutinho managed to gain a huge following despite being on the losing end of a dominant Sean O’Malley display.

Moutinho’s ability to take damage and keep coming forward for almost the entirety of the 15-minute fight did not go unnoticed, and while it was “Sugar” who came out on top with the one-sided victory, the 26-year-old’s inability to put his opponent away is widely considered to be disheartening by many, but O’Malley saw it differently.

Kris Moutinho and Sean O’Malley (Image Credit: Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

In a recent interview on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Hour, Sean O’Malley opened up on what was going through his mind as Kris Moutinho refused to give up when the two faced off earlier this year.

“In the Octagon, I’m not having any internal conversations. I’m just in there performing. I didn’t care. I’m in there for 15 minutes. Each fight, I plan on going 15 minutes. So it wasn’t like, ‘Oh, my God, this kid won’t go away.’ It was like, ‘Holy shit, my highlight reel is gonna be so fuckin’ sweet; I can’t wait to watch that.’ It was just nonstop melting my fists off his face.” O’Malley explained.

Although he isn’t currently scheduled to fight, O’Malley has spoken about a potential December 11 return, with the American eyeing a meeting with either Frankie Edgar or Dominick Cruz before the year comes to a close.

Do you think Sean O’Malley’s confidence took a hit after his grueling matchup with Kris Moutinho?

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