Tag: Sean O’Malley

Coach On Sean O’Malley Not Defending Title Against Umar Nurmagomedov: “If ‘Suga’ Just Faceplants Merab & Drops A ‘Hendo’ Bomb…”

Following his win over Cory Sandhagen at the start of August, Umar Nurmagomedov would appear to be the next in line to challenge for the bantamweight title. Sean O’Malley will be defending the belt against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306 while Nurmagomedov watches on to see how it plays out. The only thing that could […]

Continue Reading Coach On Sean O’Malley Not Defending Title Against Umar Nurmagomedov: “If ‘Suga’ Just Faceplants Merab & Drops A ‘Hendo’ Bomb…” at MMA News.

Following his win over Cory Sandhagen at the start of August, Umar Nurmagomedov would appear to be the next in line to challenge for the bantamweight title.

Sean O’Malley will be defending the belt against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306 while Nurmagomedov watches on to see how it plays out.

The only thing that could potentially stop the undefeated contender from getting his shot is if there is the potential to put on a massive fight between UFC champions.

O’Malley has spoken in the past about wanting to challenge himself at featherweight and though Dvalishvili presents a very serious threat, “Suga” has big plans.

The current champion has spoken about wanting to face Nurmagomedov but a super fight against the winner of the featherweight title fight at UFC 308 could be a now-or-never opportunity for O’Malley and the promotion.

Tim Welch Says Super Fight Could Be Next For Sean O’Malley Under The Right Circumstances

In a recent interview with James Lynch for Bodog Canada, O’Malley’s head coach Tim Welch gave his thoughts on Nurmagomedov being the next contender.

Welch believes that taking on the cousin of the great Khabib Nurmagomedov will be their next challenge unless the main events of UFC 306 and UFC 308 end in emphatic fashion.

He thinks that the UFC could strike while the iron is hot if both O’Malley and either Ilia Topuria or Max Holloway is able to put in a statement performance before going on to face each other, leaving Nurmagomedov to wait a bit longer for his chance.

Welch referenced Dan Henderson’s iconic knockout of Michael Bisping at UFC 100 to make the case for this fight being put together if there is enough buzz.

“I think we’ll see how it goes and if Ilia, maybe if Max knocks out Ilia or Ilia knocks out Max cold and then ‘Suga’ just face plants Merab and drops a ‘Hendo’ bomb on him at the end and it’s just spectacular knock outs, I don’t think Dana and those guys would be opposed to make a super fight.”

Read also: Sean O’Malley’s Coach On Henry Cejudo: ‘Thinks He’s God’s Gift…’ 

Continue Reading Coach On Sean O’Malley Not Defending Title Against Umar Nurmagomedov: “If ‘Suga’ Just Faceplants Merab & Drops A ‘Hendo’ Bomb…” at MMA News.

Sean O’Malley’s Coach On Henry Cejudo: ‘Thinks He’s God’s Gift…’ 

Suffice to say, UFC Bantamweight Champion Sean O’Malley and his team haven’t sought the aid of Henry Cejudo ahead of their upcoming showdown with Merab Dvalishvili… O’Malley is set to make his second defense of the title later this month inside the unique surroundings of the Sphere in Las Vegas, where he’ll headline the second […]

Continue Reading Sean O’Malley’s Coach On Henry Cejudo: ‘Thinks He’s God’s Gift…’  at MMA News.

Suffice to say, UFC Bantamweight Champion Sean O’Malley and his team haven’t sought the aid of Henry Cejudo ahead of their upcoming showdown with Merab Dvalishvili…

O’Malley is set to make his second defense of the title later this month inside the unique surroundings of the Sphere in Las Vegas, where he’ll headline the second edition of Noche UFC six months on from his five-round beatdown of Marlon “Chito” Vera.

Next looking to unseat “Sugar” is Dvalishvili, an in-form Georgian who has won 10 straight to earn his long-awaited first opportunity at UFC gold.

“The Machine’s” path to the top has included memorable performances against the likes of Marlon Moraes and Petr Yan, but he perhaps saved his best for last when he squared off against a former simultaneous two-division champ at UFC 298 this past February. Dvalishvili collided with Cejudo on the main card in Anaheim, further stalling “Triple C’s” pursuit of regaining the belt with a comfortable victory on the scorecards.

While that left Cejudo with 15 minutes experience of what the Georgian contender brings to the Octagon, O’Malley’s team doesn’t believe he could offer them any advice of value in the lead-up to September 14.

O’Malley’s Coach Not Interested In Tips From Ex-Dvalishvili Opponent Cejudo

During a recent interview for Bodog Canada, coach Tim Welch looked ahead to his man’s second assignment of 2024, which is currently set to see O’Malley’s challenger make the walk as the favorite.

But while Welch and co. no doubt have plenty of ways in mind to combat Dvalishvili’s perceived edge in certain realms, picking the brain of an ex-bantamweight and flyweight titleholder, Fight Ready coach, and former opponent of the Georgian’s is not one of them.

“I don’t know if that (talking to Cejudo) would help,” Welch said. “Everyone I’ve talked to that tried to talk to Henry, even coaches, they have a tough time working with Henry because he thinks he’s god’s gift to this green Earth, and you can’t teach him nothing, and his way is the way. But clearly it’s not, because Merab ragdolled him. So that’s definitely not the guy we want tips from.”

O’Malley will look to do a better job at stifling Dvalishvili’s offense than Cejudo did come fight night at Las Vegas’ Sphere in less than two weeks’ time.

The pair’s bantamweight championship clash will top a lineup that also includes another title bout, with flyweight queen Alexa Grasso and all-time great Valentina Shevchenko set to complete their trilogy in the co-main event.

Continue Reading Sean O’Malley’s Coach On Henry Cejudo: ‘Thinks He’s God’s Gift…’  at MMA News.

Sean O’Malley’s Coach On Henry Cejudo: ‘Thinks He’s God’s Gift…’ 

Suffice to say, UFC Bantamweight Champion Sean O’Malley and his team haven’t sought the aid of Henry Cejudo ahead of their upcoming showdown with Merab Dvalishvili… O’Malley is set to make his second defense of the title later this month inside the unique surroundings of the Sphere in Las Vegas, where he’ll headline the second […]

Continue Reading Sean O’Malley’s Coach On Henry Cejudo: ‘Thinks He’s God’s Gift…’  at MMA News.

Suffice to say, UFC Bantamweight Champion Sean O’Malley and his team haven’t sought the aid of Henry Cejudo ahead of their upcoming showdown with Merab Dvalishvili…

O’Malley is set to make his second defense of the title later this month inside the unique surroundings of the Sphere in Las Vegas, where he’ll headline the second edition of Noche UFC six months on from his five-round beatdown of Marlon “Chito” Vera.

Next looking to unseat “Sugar” is Dvalishvili, an in-form Georgian who has won 10 straight to earn his long-awaited first opportunity at UFC gold.

“The Machine’s” path to the top has included memorable performances against the likes of Marlon Moraes and Petr Yan, but he perhaps saved his best for last when he squared off against a former simultaneous two-division champ at UFC 298 this past February. Dvalishvili collided with Cejudo on the main card in Anaheim, further stalling “Triple C’s” pursuit of regaining the belt with a comfortable victory on the scorecards.

While that left Cejudo with 15 minutes experience of what the Georgian contender brings to the Octagon, O’Malley’s team doesn’t believe he could offer them any advice of value in the lead-up to September 14.

O’Malley’s Coach Not Interested In Tips From Ex-Dvalishvili Opponent Cejudo

During a recent interview for Bodog Canada, coach Tim Welch looked ahead to his man’s second assignment of 2024, which is currently set to see O’Malley’s challenger make the walk as the favorite.

But while Welch and co. no doubt have plenty of ways in mind to combat Dvalishvili’s perceived edge in certain realms, picking the brain of an ex-bantamweight and flyweight titleholder, Fight Ready coach, and former opponent of the Georgian’s is not one of them.

“I don’t know if that (talking to Cejudo) would help,” Welch said. “Everyone I’ve talked to that tried to talk to Henry, even coaches, they have a tough time working with Henry because he thinks he’s god’s gift to this green Earth, and you can’t teach him nothing, and his way is the way. But clearly it’s not, because Merab ragdolled him. So that’s definitely not the guy we want tips from.”

O’Malley will look to do a better job at stifling Dvalishvili’s offense than Cejudo did come fight night at Las Vegas’ Sphere in less than two weeks’ time.

The pair’s bantamweight championship clash will top a lineup that also includes another title bout, with flyweight queen Alexa Grasso and all-time great Valentina Shevchenko set to complete their trilogy in the co-main event.

Continue Reading Sean O’Malley’s Coach On Henry Cejudo: ‘Thinks He’s God’s Gift…’  at MMA News.

Watch: ‘Suga’ Show Hits the Gridiron: Sean O’Malley Runs Routes at Arizona Cardinals Camp

Watch: ‘Suga’ Show Hits the Gridiron: Sean O’Malley Runs Routes at Arizona Cardinals CampAhead of his return to the Octagon on September 14, UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley spent some time running…

Watch: ‘Suga’ Show Hits the Gridiron: Sean O’Malley Runs Routes at Arizona Cardinals Camp

Ahead of his return to the Octagon on September 14, UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley spent some time running routes with the Arizona Cardinals.

After a successful title defense against Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera in March, O’Malley will put his gold on the line against top-ranked contender Merab Dvalishvili when the promotion heads to Sphere in Las Vegas for a Noche UFC event unlike anything that’s ever been done before.

Sean O'Malley

Before making his way to ‘Sin City’ in a couple of weeks, O’Malley, who is a self-described NFL fan, made his way to the Arizona Cardinals training camp to pose for pictures with star quarterback Kyler Murray and run a few routes.

‘Sugar’ Sean O’Malley catches a few passes from Kyler Murray

“It always trips me out when people are huge fans, especially when they’re 6-foot-4 250 pounds, and they’re pumped to meet the Suga show,” O’Malley said of the experience. “But it’s really cool. Overall, it was just an incredible day. These drills are probably the closest I’ll get to being in the NFL, but I’ll take it” (h/t Arizona Cardinals).

He continued, “The Cardinals are my team now. I live 20 minutes from the stadium. I’ve been here for ten years, so this feels like home and I’m excited to get back into it and have a team to root for.”

O’Malley may never get to live out his dream of being a football star, but he’ll have the opportunity to headline one of the most anticipated events in MMA history at UFC 306. That’s a pretty solid consolation prize.

Sean O'Malley

Sean O’Malley’s coach warns Merab Dvalishvili of major flaw: ‘Too close to the fight now to fix’

Sean O'Malley’s coach warns Merab Dvalishvili of major flaw: ‘Too close to the fight now to fix'Sean O’Malley’s head coach, Tim Welch claims he has spotted a significant foil in the gameplan and ability of…

Sean O'Malley’s coach warns Merab Dvalishvili of major flaw: ‘Too close to the fight now to fix'

Sean O’Malley’s head coach, Tim Welch claims he has spotted a significant foil in the gameplan and ability of incoming title challenger, Merab Dvalishvili ahead of Noche UFC next month — claiming it’s likely too late in the day for the Georgian to address now.

O’Malley, the current undisputed bantamweight champion, is slated to return to headline Noche UFC next month — taking on Merab Dvalishvili as part of a title doubleheader at the Las Vegas Sphere — attempting to defend his championship for the second time this year.

sean omalley merab dvalishvili

Most recently featuring back in March at UFC 299, Montana striker, O’Malley most recently landed a one-sided unanimous decision win over Marlon Vera, avenging his sole professional loss in mixed martial arts competition.

As for Merab Dvalishvili, the Tbilisi grappler turned in a one-sided decision win of his own back in February at UFC 298, dispatching former two-division titleholder, Henry Cejudo over the course of three rounds in the pair’s title eliminator in Anaheim.

Merab Dvalishvili Will Not Be Pulling Out From UFC 306 Due to Cut: "You guys are WEAK"

Tim Welch breaks down the flaws of Merab Dvalishvili

And engaging in a high-profile spat with O’Malley’s head coach, Welch ahead of Noche UFC, Merab Dvalishvili has been warned of a potential flaw in his ability by the outspoken trainer — which will be too late to address.

Merab Dvalishvili calls out Sean O’Malley’s coach Tim Welch: 'He's a snake person'

“(Merab Dvalishli) loses balance a little bit on the punches,” Tim Welch said on his YouTube channel. “Falls forward and that’s something that definitely could get him in trouble here and it’s too close to the fight now to fix. Really lunging in here, throwing the overhand right, bringing his foot back with him which is another thing that could get you in trouble. You saw it with Aljo (Aljamain Sterling).”

“I’m thankful that I’m not having to be a trainer, training someone against ‘Sugar’ (Sean O’Malley) because it would just be so hard to find sparring partners that can do anything remotely close to him,” Welch explained. “And then you find sparring partners that try to mimic him. They do their best at mimicking him.”

“Merab doesn’t even like, control his breath,” Welch continued. “He doesn’t even think about controlling his breath. He just, he’ll just breathe in, he’ll be mout breathing the whole time and he’ll be able to keep up the pace. That’s one thing that’s scary about him. He’ll be able to just keep up the pace the whole time. Just at that, frantic breathing, frantic pace, that’s one of the things that make him really dangerous.”

Sean O’Malley’s coach warns Merab Dvalishvili of major flaw: ‘Too close to the fight now to fix’

Sean O'Malley’s coach warns Merab Dvalishvili of major flaw: ‘Too close to the fight now to fix'Sean O’Malley’s head coach, Tim Welch claims he has spotted a significant foil in the gameplan and ability of…

Sean O'Malley’s coach warns Merab Dvalishvili of major flaw: ‘Too close to the fight now to fix'

Sean O’Malley’s head coach, Tim Welch claims he has spotted a significant foil in the gameplan and ability of incoming title challenger, Merab Dvalishvili ahead of Noche UFC next month — claiming it’s likely too late in the day for the Georgian to address now.

O’Malley, the current undisputed bantamweight champion, is slated to return to headline Noche UFC next month — taking on Merab Dvalishvili as part of a title doubleheader at the Las Vegas Sphere — attempting to defend his championship for the second time this year.

sean omalley merab dvalishvili

Most recently featuring back in March at UFC 299, Montana striker, O’Malley most recently landed a one-sided unanimous decision win over Marlon Vera, avenging his sole professional loss in mixed martial arts competition.

As for Merab Dvalishvili, the Tbilisi grappler turned in a one-sided decision win of his own back in February at UFC 298, dispatching former two-division titleholder, Henry Cejudo over the course of three rounds in the pair’s title eliminator in Anaheim.

Merab Dvalishvili Will Not Be Pulling Out From UFC 306 Due to Cut: "You guys are WEAK"

Tim Welch breaks down the flaws of Merab Dvalishvili

And engaging in a high-profile spat with O’Malley’s head coach, Welch ahead of Noche UFC, Merab Dvalishvili has been warned of a potential flaw in his ability by the outspoken trainer — which will be too late to address.

Merab Dvalishvili calls out Sean O’Malley’s coach Tim Welch: 'He's a snake person'

“(Merab Dvalishli) loses balance a little bit on the punches,” Tim Welch said on his YouTube channel. “Falls forward and that’s something that definitely could get him in trouble here and it’s too close to the fight now to fix. Really lunging in here, throwing the overhand right, bringing his foot back with him which is another thing that could get you in trouble. You saw it with Aljo (Aljamain Sterling).”

“I’m thankful that I’m not having to be a trainer, training someone against ‘Sugar’ (Sean O’Malley) because it would just be so hard to find sparring partners that can do anything remotely close to him,” Welch explained. “And then you find sparring partners that try to mimic him. They do their best at mimicking him.”

“Merab doesn’t even like, control his breath,” Welch continued. “He doesn’t even think about controlling his breath. He just, he’ll just breathe in, he’ll be mout breathing the whole time and he’ll be able to keep up the pace. That’s one thing that’s scary about him. He’ll be able to just keep up the pace the whole time. Just at that, frantic breathing, frantic pace, that’s one of the things that make him really dangerous.”