Tag: Sean O’Malley

Sean O’Malley Eyes Jose Aldo: ‘Couple Wins, We Could Fight Him’

Sean O'Malley & Jose AldoSean O’Malley expressed his desire to match up with Jose Aldo in the future when speaking in a video posted to his YouTube channel. The American will look to continue his hot streak when he enters the Octagon this weekend to take on Raulian Paiva at UFC 269. O’Malley comes into this bout following on […]

Sean O'Malley & Jose Aldo

Sean O’Malley expressed his desire to match up with Jose Aldo in the future when speaking in a video posted to his YouTube channel.

The American will look to continue his hot streak when he enters the Octagon this weekend to take on Raulian Paiva at UFC 269. O’Malley comes into this bout following on from his striking masterclass against the tough Kris Moutinho.

‘Suga’ spoke about Jose Aldo and was full of praise for the Brazilian, who himself has seen a career resurgence following on from his move down to bantamweight which started off with two losses for the former featherweight champion. However, since then he has gone on to pick up three wins in his new division, with his most recent outing a strong five-round display against Rob Font.

“Aldo’s a tough fight 100 percent. Got to be so f***ing sweet to fight him someday. We’re on track, I mean we got a f***ing couple wins and we could fight him… He’s so good at countering a jab, his f***ing pull twos are so fast… I think that’s why you switch stances, throwing different jabs and stuff but yeah, I mean in the third round or the fourth round, he (Aldo) was kicking the f**k out of his leg, but he didn’t throw one until then which is crazy.” (transcribed by sporkskeeda.com)

Following on from his victory over Rob Font, Aldo expressed his interest in fighting for the title but given time schedules and Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling needing to face each other first, Aldo was also open to the idea of fighting TJ Dillashaw.  

What’s Next for Sean O’Malley?

Sean O’Malley made no illusion of the fact that he would need to win a few more fights to earn himself a matchup with Aldo. So, given he can get past Paiva this weekend who would you like to see O’Malley take on next? Just above him in the rankings sits Marlon Moraes who would provide a good test for O’Malley or given the comments he made earlier this week could a potential match-up with Dominic Cruz be the next step for ‘Sugar’.

Do you think Sean O’Malley beats Raulian Paiva this weekend at UFC 269?

Raulian Paiva Believes He Will Make O’Malley “Wimp Out” At UFC 269

Raulian Paiva feels he knows the way to beat Sean O’Malley at UFC 269.

There is an exciting bantamweight matchup on the card this weekend at UFC 269. Sean O’Malley will be taking on Raulian Paiva on the main card portion of the event. O’Malley has …

Raulian Paiva Sean O'Malley

Raulian Paiva feels he knows the way to beat Sean O’Malley at UFC 269.

There is an exciting bantamweight matchup on the card this weekend at UFC 269. Sean O’Malley will be taking on Raulian Paiva on the main card portion of the event. O’Malley has been successful at making himself known in the MMA world. He is a fan favorite both inside the cage and out. However, his opponent Paiva feels that he may be too much show and not enough fight.

Paiva spoke to MMA Fighting a bit about his game plan coming into this bout against O’Malley, and how he feels he can be victorious.

“He lost when he fought a top fighter. Marlon Vera is very experienced, has many fights in the UFC, he put pressure over him and that’s it,” Paiva said. “He wimped out, got desperate and that happened, he got TKO’d. … There are fighters that only know how to hit but drop in performance when they are under pressure, and that’s what I see in O’Malley.

Paiva came to the UFC in 2019 after a win on The Dana White Contender Series. He has now won three in a row, most recently a decision victory over Kyler Phillips in July. O’Malley has had a similar journey as Paiva. He was awarded a contract on DWCS and has now only lost one fight in the UFC. Despite his stellar record, Paiva sees holes in O’Malley’s game and plans to expose them.

“If you give him space he’ll do his thing, but he’ll start to get desperate and make mistakes more and more if you don’t give him space,” Paiva said. “That’s basically what I’ll do. I’ll make him make mistakes at his own game. I’m going there to pressure him from the first to the third round, if we get to the third round.”

UFC 269 takes place on Dec. 11 live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Do you think Raulian Paiva’s game plan for defeating Sean O’Malley will work at UFc 269?

Continue Reading Raulian Paiva Believes He Will Make O’Malley “Wimp Out” At UFC 269 at MMA News.

Sean O’Malley Says Vera Rematch Is “Gonna Happen 100%”

UFC bantamweight star Sean O’Malley is “100%” certain he’ll have the chance to exact revenge on Marlon Vera in a rematch down the line.

The pair fought at UFC 252 last August. At the time, O’Malley was unbeaten and riding high off two finishes foll…

Sean O'Malley & Marlon Vera, Sean O'Malley

UFC bantamweight star Sean O’Malley is “100%” certain he’ll have the chance to exact revenge on Marlon Vera in a rematch down the line.

The pair fought at UFC 252 last August. At the time, O’Malley was unbeaten and riding high off two finishes following his return to action in March that year. In his previous outing, he’d recorded a Knockout of the Year contender against veteran Eddie Wineland. Vera, meanwhile, fell on the wrong side of a tight decision against Song Yadong in his prior appearance, a loss that snapped his five-fight winning streak.

Upsetting the odds inside the UFC Apex, Vera added the first blemish to O’Malley’s record with a first-round TKO. The stoppage came after the Ecuadorian’s leg kicks appeared to injure “Sugar,” seemingly disabling his foot after connecting with the perennial nerve.

Since then, both men have had success. After falling short of contention four months later with a defeat to former featherweight champion José Aldo, “Chito” re-established himself as a force to be reckoned with thanks to two impressive wins in 2021. Having avenged his loss to Davey Grant in June, Vera shot closer to the top 10 with a highlight-reel knockout of former 155-pound titleholder Frankie Edgar at UFC 268.

In the same period, O’Malley rebounded with two wins. A brutal knockout against former hot prospect Thomas Almeida was followed by a record-breaking striking performance against promotional newcomer Kris Moutinho at UFC 264 in July. He’ll have the chance to secure a third victory in 2021 this weekend when he faces Raulian Paiva.

O’Malley Wants His Revenge

Despite having a tough opponent in front of him, O’Malley has never been one to shy away from discussing his future plans and possible matchups in the UFC. During a recent appearance on Ariel Helwani’s The MMA Hour, “Sugar” was asked about his former foe Vera.

Addressing the ranked bantamweight’s latest appearance in the Octagon, O’Malley reluctantly admitted it was a good performance, but suggested they wouldn’t be having the conversation had the fight against Edgar lasted another minute.

“Did he? (look good in his last fight). I did watch, I just didn’t know if you were being serious or not. I thought it was a pretty decent performance. I mean, I thought a minute left he would’ve lost that fight and I don’t think we’d be saying the same thing, but he won, he got the job done, and that’s all that matters. So yeah, I guess you consider that a good performance.”

When asked if he believes he’ll run it back with “Chito” at some point in the future, O’Malley suggested a rematch with the Ecuadorian is “100%” going to happen at some point. That’s despite Vera’s previous claims that O’Malley already turned down the chance to face him again.

“Yes, 100%. I think it’s gonna happen 100%… there’s a time and place for that fight, and I think it’s gonna be a big fight. It’s gonna happen. I don’t know when, I don’t know if soon, sooner or later, but it’ll happen,” said O’Malley.

Despite being unranked, it’s hard to imagine that would come in the way of a possible rematch with Vera. However, “Chito” is setting his targets high for his next outing. He recently called out Aldo for a rematch following the Brazilian’s five-round triumph over Rob Font last weekend.

Should O’Malley emerge victorious at UFC 269 this Saturday, he’s perhaps only one more victory away from closing the gap on Vera in the rankings and making a second clash a real possibility.

How do you a think a rematch between Sean O’Malley and Marlon Vera would play out?

Continue Reading Sean O’Malley Says Vera Rematch Is “Gonna Happen 100%” at MMA News.

Sean O’Malley On His Conversation With Conor McGregor: ‘He Might Have Had A Couple Shots Of Proper 12’

Sean O'MalleySean O’Malley recalled his conversation with Conor McGregor at the Los Angeles Chargers vs Dallas Cowboys game this past September. O’Malley was being interviewed for his upcoming fight at UFC 269 this Saturday Dec. 11th, when he recounted how he admired ‘The Notorious’ during his ascendance. ‘Sugar’ and McGregor have a very similar set of […]

Sean O'Malley

Sean O’Malley recalled his conversation with Conor McGregor at the Los Angeles Chargers vs Dallas Cowboys game this past September.

O’Malley was being interviewed for his upcoming fight at UFC 269 this Saturday Dec. 11th, when he recounted how he admired ‘The Notorious’ during his ascendance. ‘Sugar’ and McGregor have a very similar set of skills and it is obvious that O’Malley has taken a lot from McGregor’s stand up game.

The two are very much characters outside the octagon and both know how to sell fights. Many would say that McGregor laid the blueprint out for O’Malley to follow.

Sean O’Malley was being interviewed by ESPN’s Brett Okomoto when he sounded off on his first encounter with Conor McGregor

“We were at a Cowboys game. And we happened to be in the same suite… I’ve watched his whole career play out and learned a lot from him… Conor’s the only person I’ve looked up to and thought, ‘Damn! I want to be that big.’ I want to change the sport like Conor did… We had a short conversation. It was loud in there… He knows who the ‘Sugar’ show is. He watches the fights. He said, ‘Great performance on your last fight.’ It wasn’t a long conversation… He might have had a couple of shots of Proper 12 maybe and he’s got a thick accent, especially when he’s buzzed up a bit.” (Transcribed by Sportskeeda)

It is quite obvious that McGregor loves his ‘Proper 12’ whisky and it wouldn’t be a stretch to say he may have been a bit buzzed at the game. One thing for certain is, McGregor did take MMA to another level. Whether you love him or hate him, you must admit he brought the UFC to heights that many didn’t believe the sport could reach.

O’Malley possesses the same sort of power that McGrgeor showcased when he was making his rise in the featherweight division. O’Malley has a tough task ahead of him at UFC 269 when he takes on Raulian Paiva. Paiva has won three fights in a row and holds a professional record of 21-3.

Do you think the ‘Sugar Show’ rolls on this weekend? Can O’Malley make a run through the bantamweight division like McGregor did to the featherweight division?

Sean O’Malley Explains Why He’s On The UFC 269 PPV & Dominick Cruz Is On The Prelims

Sean O'MalleySean O’Malley is reveling in the fact he will feature in the pay-per-view portion of UFC 269 while former bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz will compete on the prelims. ‘Suga’ will open this Saturday’s UFC 269 main card when he takes on #15 ranked bantamweight Raulian Paiva. Earlier in the evening Pedro Munhoz and Dominick Cruz […]

Sean O'Malley

Sean O’Malley is reveling in the fact he will feature in the pay-per-view portion of UFC 269 while former bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz will compete on the prelims.

‘Suga’ will open this Saturday’s UFC 269 main card when he takes on #15 ranked bantamweight Raulian Paiva. Earlier in the evening Pedro Munhoz and Dominick Cruz will square off on the ESPN+ preliminary card, despite the fact they are both higher ranked at 135lbs.

O’Malley finds the fact he is ahead of Cruz quite amusing, especially after the bantamweight legend refused a fight with him.

“I let a little giggle out it just because I remember Dominick Cruz saying something, trying to teach young fighters how to promote, just something like that, how to do something,” O’Malley said on The MMA Hour. “It’s Dominick Cruz, the dude’s a legend, I can’t sit here and disrespect him, but he’s on the prelims. The UFC stacks the card in a specific way for a reason, you know what I mean?

“If they thought Dominick Cruz and Pedro Munhoz could sell more pay-per-views than me, they’d put him on the main card. I think it’s just the UFC’s a business and they understand what they’re doing, so they’re there because they’re there.”

Sean O’Malley On Why He’s So Popular.

The 27-year-old has become one of the most recognizable people in MMA despite never picking up a win over a ranked opponent. O’Malley believes it is his fighting style rather than anything else that has allowed him to stand out from the crowd.

“I think it’s my performances, I really do,” O’Malley said. “All the talk, all the hair, all the whatever, the face tats, all of those things are just additives, I think. My performances, you just want to watch me fight. I move different than people, I think that that’s what it really is.

“But I could be wrong. It could be my beautiful smile.”

Do you think Sean O’Malley deserves his spot on the UFC 269 main card?

Sean O’Malley Names Himself, Israel Adesanya, Petr Yan As The Best Strikers In The UFC

Sean O'MalleyUFC bantamweight contender, Sean O’Malley is slated to make his third Octagon walk of the year later this month as part of the UFC 269 card — and has inserted himself into the conversation as the best striker in the UFC, alongside reigning middleweight kingpin, Israel Adesanya, and interim bantamweight titleholder, Petr Yan. Returning to […]

Sean O'Malley

UFC bantamweight contender, Sean O’Malley is slated to make his third Octagon walk of the year later this month as part of the UFC 269 card — and has inserted himself into the conversation as the best striker in the UFC, alongside reigning middleweight kingpin, Israel Adesanya, and interim bantamweight titleholder, Petr Yan.

Returning to the winner’s enclosure back in March at UFC 260 following his first career loss to Marlon Vera in August of last year, O’Malley turned in a one-sided striking display en route to a third round, highlight-reel ground strike knockout win over Thomas Almeida. 

In July as part of the high-profile UFC 264 card, O’Malley secured his second straight win of the year, stopping promotional newcomer, Kris Moutinho with an eventual third round knockout after setting multiple striking records for the division.

Off the back of the victory, O’Malley, who is yet to re-enter the bantamweight top-15, has drawn talented Brazilian contender, Raulian Paiva — who is undefeated in his last three straight Octagon walks. 

Sean O’Malley believes he, Israel Adesanya, and Petr Yan are the current best strikers in the UFC

Attempting to earn his fifteen professional victory against the 26-year-old in 10 days’ time, O’Malley recently spoke with The Schmo where he listed the aforenoted, Adesanya and Yan as the best strikers in the UFC alongside himself right now.

“Starting five? You gotta go with Izzy (Israel Adesanya),” Sean O’Malley replied. “You have to go with Izzy right now. Petr (Yan) — just ’cause I think he’s funny. I think Petr’s a funny, little Russian dude I really do. Me, Petr, Izzy — we’re just talking strikers here, yeah?“

“I should really watch the UFC more, I’m coming to a blank right now,” Sean O’Malley said. “Kyler — my buddy, Kyler, my buddy, Mario — gotta go with the buddies, you know what I’m saying. They’re my main training partners. There we go.“

With a combined 32 separate knockout wins between the trio of O’Malley, Adesanya, and Yan — the three most certainly represent three of the most technical strikers on the promotion’s books at the time of publication.

Adesanya is still yet to solidify his middleweight title rematch with former titleholder, Robert Whittaker, however, the pair are expected to headline a UFC 271 event in February.

As for Yan, the Dudinka striking ace clinched the interim bantamweight crown at UFC 267 in October, taking home a unanimous decision win over Cory Sandhagen to set up a title unification re-run with arch-rival, Aljamain Sterling next year.