Tag: Sean O’Malley

Coach: Social Media Detox Will Take Sean O’Malley To The ‘Next Level’

Sean O’Malley’s coach is confident of seeing an improved iteration of the former UFC bantamweight champion following a change to his approach in 2025. Not many fighters have been able to accumulate the kind of social media following and presence that O’Malley has since rising to prominent on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage. From YouTube […]

Sean O’Malley’s coach is confident of seeing an improved iteration of the former UFC bantamweight champion following a change to his approach in 2025.

Not many fighters have been able to accumulate the kind of social media following and presence that O’Malley has since rising to prominent on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage. From YouTube and X to Instagram and Snapchat, “Suga” has long been active in building his brand online.

But that looks set to change moving forward after O’Malley was thrust off the 135-pound throne by Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306 last September.

That result seems to have brought about a significant adjustment for “Suga” as he gears up for his pursuit of regaining the crown in 2025, with the Montana native revealing plans to take a break from social media.

During a recent appearance on Submission Radio, coach Tim Welch expressed his support for the decision, suggesting that an O’Malley who is focused on nothing but the cage will mark a dangerous proposition for his opponents.

“He’s worked so hard for years on these socials, and you’d be surprised by the amount of money he makes on them, it’s crazy, but it’s like, right now, to win in this top five, you’ve got to be focused on your training,” Welch said. “Being creative on Instagram, being creative on Snapchat, being creative on YouTube, and then worried about all your deliverables (and) when they’ll be posted – your mind’s thinking about all this stuff, and it takes more energy than you think.

“Every single person wants you on their podcast, every single person wants you at their party, celebs (and) athletes, they’re messaging you asking to hang out and you’re just taking all this in,” Welch continued. “So for him to put it all down, to put Snapchat down, to put Instagram down, put the YouTube down; he needs to do that and it’s going to be able to take him to the next level.”

While O’Malley is without a fight date in the calendar after undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum post-title loss to Dvalishvili, he is expecting to return in competition for the bantamweight gold in quarter two of 2025.

Should that come to fruition, “Suga’s” opponent will be decided next weekend at UFC 311, where “The Machine” is set to defend his gold for the first time against the undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov.

Coach: Social Media Detox Will Take Sean O’Malley To The ‘Next Level’

Sean O’Malley’s coach is confident of seeing an improved iteration of the former UFC bantamweight champion following a change to his approach in 2025. Not many fighters have been able to accumulate the kind of social media following and presence that O’Malley has since rising to prominent on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage. From YouTube […]

Sean O’Malley’s coach is confident of seeing an improved iteration of the former UFC bantamweight champion following a change to his approach in 2025.

Not many fighters have been able to accumulate the kind of social media following and presence that O’Malley has since rising to prominent on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage. From YouTube and X to Instagram and Snapchat, “Suga” has long been active in building his brand online.

But that looks set to change moving forward after O’Malley was thrust off the 135-pound throne by Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306 last September.

That result seems to have brought about a significant adjustment for “Suga” as he gears up for his pursuit of regaining the crown in 2025, with the Montana native revealing plans to take a break from social media.

During a recent appearance on Submission Radio, coach Tim Welch expressed his support for the decision, suggesting that an O’Malley who is focused on nothing but the cage will mark a dangerous proposition for his opponents.

“He’s worked so hard for years on these socials, and you’d be surprised by the amount of money he makes on them, it’s crazy, but it’s like, right now, to win in this top five, you’ve got to be focused on your training,” Welch said. “Being creative on Instagram, being creative on Snapchat, being creative on YouTube, and then worried about all your deliverables (and) when they’ll be posted – your mind’s thinking about all this stuff, and it takes more energy than you think.

“Every single person wants you on their podcast, every single person wants you at their party, celebs (and) athletes, they’re messaging you asking to hang out and you’re just taking all this in,” Welch continued. “So for him to put it all down, to put Snapchat down, to put Instagram down, put the YouTube down; he needs to do that and it’s going to be able to take him to the next level.”

While O’Malley is without a fight date in the calendar after undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum post-title loss to Dvalishvili, he is expecting to return in competition for the bantamweight gold in quarter two of 2025.

Should that come to fruition, “Suga’s” opponent will be decided next weekend at UFC 311, where “The Machine” is set to defend his gold for the first time against the undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov.

Sean O’Malley Reveals Plan To Aid Chances Of Becoming UFC Champ Again: ‘I Just Need A Detox…’

Former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley has been known for a strong media presence, but it appears that he is planning to take a step back from such. After losing the 135-pound gold earlier this year, O’Malley has announced on his Instagram that he is planning to take a social media “detox” in the new […]

Former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley has been known for a strong media presence, but it appears that he is planning to take a step back from such.

After losing the 135-pound gold earlier this year, O’Malley has announced on his Instagram that he is planning to take a social media “detox” in the new year, hoping that this will help him focus on building a path toward earning back the gold.

Sean O’Malley To Put Social Media Posting On Hold In 2025

“2025, I am deleting all my social medias off my phone until my next fight,” O’Malley posted. “My team will be running my socials. We will still make content but I just need a detox from my phone. Going to focus on reaching my full potential as an athlete and a father.”

The ever-popular UFC fighter finally won the bantamweight championship at UFC 292 last year with a knockout of Aljamain Sterling. He successfully defended the title against Marlon “Chito” Vera at UFC 299 this past March before dropping it to Merab Dvalishvili at the Noche UFC event inside the Sphere.

The loss was just the second in O’Malley’s career, following his 2020 defeat to Vera. In the aftermath, “Suga” went under the knife to repair a torn labrum. He’s looking to return in the first or second quarter of the new year, with a rematch opposite Dvalishvili in his sights.

“The Machine,” meanwhile, is scheduled to defend the title against Umar Nurmagomedov in the co-main event of UFC 311 next month.

Sean O’Malley Shuts Down Petr Yan’s Rematch Request, Keeps Sights On Merab Dvalishvili

Sean O’Malley appears to have nothing in his crosshairs except redemption opposite UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili next year. O’Malley was thrust off the throne in emphatic fashion by Dvalishvili in the main event of UFC 306 at the Sphere this past September, bringing an end to his reign in its second defense. “Sugar” subsequently […]

Sean O’Malley appears to have nothing in his crosshairs except redemption opposite UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili next year.

O’Malley was thrust off the throne in emphatic fashion by Dvalishvili in the main event of UFC 306 at the Sphere this past September, bringing an end to his reign in its second defense.

“Sugar” subsequently headed for surgery to repair a torn labrum and is targeting a return in the first or second quarter of 2025. And he was recently called out by a familiar foe for his comeback fight.

“I would lean towards a rematch with Sean O’Malley,” Petr Yan told Ariel Helwani. “I don’t know what’s going on with him. He’s out for nine or 12 months, so maybe he got pregnant.”

Yan’s comments come after he made it two wins from two in 2024 by outpointing Deiveson Figueiredo in Macau. While he’s gone back and forth with Dvalishvili over a rematch for the title, Umar Nurmagomedov is widely seen as the deserving next in line at 135 pounds.

With that in mind, the Russian may need to look elsewhere for his next assignment. And judging by O’Malley’s reaction to his request for a redo, his door has been firmly shut for “No Mercy.”

“I predict it will be early Q2. Against Merab. Thanks for asking,” O’Malley wrote in his response on X.

O’Malley has repeatedly outlined his intention to return straight into a shot at avenging his decision defeat to “The Machine.”

With the timeline for Nurmagomedov’s expected maiden title opportunity still uncertain as the year approaches its conclusion, it remains to be seen what lies ahead for both O’Malley and Yan in 2025.

Daniel Cormier Ready to Take Over UFC Matchmaking Duties, Fantasy Books Bantamweight Top 10

Daniel Cormier Ready to Take Over UFC Matchmaking Duties, Fantasy Books Bantamweight Top 10Stand back Sean Shelby, Daniel Cormier has got this. The UFC’s bantamweight division is perhaps the most stacked weight…

Daniel Cormier Ready to Take Over UFC Matchmaking Duties, Fantasy Books Bantamweight Top 10

Stand back Sean Shelby, Daniel Cormier has got this.

The UFC’s bantamweight division is perhaps the most stacked weight class in all of mixed martial arts, boasting a slew of former and future world champions like Sean O’Malley, Petr Yan, Deiveson Figueiredo, Henry Cejudo, and Umar Nurmagomedov.

Then there’s 135-pound titleholder Merab Dvalishvili who’s coming off a stellar performance against ‘Sugar’ at UFC 306 in Las Vegas.

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Riding an 11-fight win streak dating back to 2018, ‘The Machine’ will look to keep his unbeaten run alive when he inevitably locks up with the No. 2 ranked Nurmagomedov in 2025.

But what about the rest of the division?

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Cormier Reveals his bantamweight wishlist

Following Petr Yan’s impressive win over Figueiredo in Macau, there are a lot of intriguing matchups to be had at 135. Doing the UFC’s job for them, Cormier broke down what he believes are the bantamweight matches that the promotion should be booking for the new year.

“There is a bunch of guys at 135 that need to be matched up. So I figured, it’s time for some matchmaking,” Cormier said on his ESPN show Good Guy/Bad Guy with Chael Sonnen. “For the title…easy, Merab vs. Umar. … Then I go Yan vs. Sandhagen (2) as my second fight, Chael. Because then it gives you a clear number one contender.

“Sean O’Malley needs a big fight, right? You know who else needs a big fight? Henry Cejudo. These guys have a beef, an easy beef to sell…I say put Sean O’Malley in there with the former champion Henry Cejudo. That means more than a win over Cory Sandhagen,” Cormier continued. “After that, I’m going Figgy (Deiveson Figueiredo) vs. Dominick Cruz. And my last one, Chael, we’ve got to give Mario Bautista a chance. … I’m giving him (Marlon) ‘Chito’ Vera” (h/t MMA News).

Chances are, Sean O’Malley will walk straight into a title fight once he’s ready to return following the loss against Dvalishvili in Vegas.

Also, Yan seems to think that his win over Figueiredo has already made him worthy of a rematch with ‘The Machine,’ as evidenced by his recent post on social media responding to the reigning champ’s praise.

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Dvalishvili seemed to like the idea, even going so far as to offer ‘No Mercy’ an exact date for their potential rematch.

“Great fight Petr (Yan),” Dvalishvili said in a video posted on X. “I like your callout, and I like your respect. Let’s go again, after 2 years. March 8th, T Mobile. Let’s f*cking go.”

What bantamweight matchups would you like to see in the coming year?

Daniel Cormier Pitches Next Fights For O’Malley, Yan, Figueiredo At Bantamweight

Former UFC double champion Daniel Cormier has some matchups in mind for the bantamweight division in 2025, including the next outings for Sean O’Malley and Petr Yan. The 135-pound weight class is entering the new year with a fresh champion at the helm and a number of hungry contenders chasing him down. Merab Dvalishvili achieved […]

Former UFC double champion Daniel Cormier has some matchups in mind for the bantamweight division in 2025, including the next outings for Sean O’Malley and Petr Yan.

The 135-pound weight class is entering the new year with a fresh champion at the helm and a number of hungry contenders chasing him down.

Merab Dvalishvili achieved his title ambitions on MMA’s biggest stage by dethroning O’Malley inside the Sphere this past September. While “Suga” eyes a shot at redemption in his return from injury next March or April, Umar Nurmagomedov sits as the consensus number one contender.

In spite of the Georgian’s ongoing attempts to push that matchup away, the Dagestani has plenty of support when it comes to his claim to an opportunity, including from Cormier.

During a recent episode of his Good Guy/Bad Guy show alongside Chael Sonnen on ESPN MMA’s YouTube channel, Cormier pointed to Dvalishvili vs. Nurmagomedov as the logical next title fight in the bantamweight division.

And in terms of how the rest of the top names should be matched up, “DC” has some ideas for that too.

“There is a bunch of guys at 135 that need to be matched up. So I figured, it’s time for some matchmaking,” Cormier began. “For the title…easy, Merab vs. Umar. … Then I go Yan vs. Sandhagen (2) as my second fight, Chael. Because then it gives you a clear number one contender.

“Sean O’Malley needs a big fight, right? You know who else needs a big fight? Henry Cejudo. These guys have a beef, an easy beef to sell…I say put Sean O’Malley in there with the former champion Henry Cejudo. That means more than a win over Cory Sandhagen,” Cormier continued. “After that, I’m going Figgy (Deiveson Figueiredo) vs. Dominick Cruz. And my last one, Chael, we’ve got to give Mario Bautista a chance. … I’m giving him (Marlon) ‘Chito’ Vera.”

It remains to be seen whether or not the UFC higher-ups will share Cormier’s view of the division. For now, it doesn’t appear the champ himself does.

Having previously pointed to others as more worthy of challenging for his gold than Nurmagomedov, Dvalishvili most recently called for a rematch with Yan following “No Mercy’s” decision win over Figueiredo in Macau last weekend.