Tag: Sean O’Malley

Sean O’Malley Believes Canelo’s Vegan Diet Could’ve Affected His Performance

UFC bantamweight contender Sean O’Malley believes Canelo Álvarez’s vegan diet may have played a part in his loss this past weekend. O’Malley was recently a guest on “The MMA Hour” to discuss several topics, including his thoughts on Canelo and his loss to Dmitry Bivol Saturday night. “Suga” mentioned that he heard this fight was…

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UFC bantamweight contender Sean O’Malley believes Canelo Álvarez’s vegan diet may have played a part in his loss this past weekend.

O’Malley was recently a guest on “The MMA Hour” to discuss several topics, including his thoughts on Canelo and his loss to Dmitry Bivol Saturday night. “Suga” mentioned that he heard this fight was Canelo’s first after switching over to a vegan diet.

He speculated that this could have played a factor in why Canelo performed the way he did against Bivol, amongst other factors.

“I heard Canelo ate a vegan — that was his first time eating a vegan diet for that fight camp,” O’Malley said. “Is that true? If that’s the case I can kind of see it in his — I mean, you don’t ever see Canelo looking that gassed in the later rounds.

“He could throw a left liver shot and his right hand would be down and get cracked with a left hook. I feel like you don’t really see Canelo making those mistakes.

“Bivol’s also way bigger, but a similar skillset so it was a huge step up for Canelo as far as weight and that guy being as skilled as him. I’ve never heard of Bivol before. I’ve never watched him fight or anything until that.”

The loss was Álvarez’s first and only since September of 2013 when he was bested by Floyd Mayweather Jr. Álvarez was attempting to win Bivol’s WBA (super) light heavyweight titles. As for O’Malley, he is currently on a three-fight win streak since suffering the first loss of his career in August of 2020.

O’Malley is slated to return against Pedro Munhoz on July 2 at UFC 276 on pay-per-view (PPV).

What do you think of O’Malley suggesting Canelo might have lost due in part to his vegan diet? Do you agree? Sound off in the comments!

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Sean O’Malley Maps Route To ‘Early 2023’ Title Shot, Plans ‘Two More Finishes’ Over Top Contenders Pedro Munhoz & Marlon Vera

Sean O'Malley, Pedro Munhoz, Marlon VeraSean O’Malley makes headlines again, as he maps out his plan to a title shot in early 2023, stating highlight-reel finishes over Pedro Munhoz and Marlon Vera will elevate him to challenge for the bantamweight belt. Could two impressive victories set Sean O’Malley up to challenge for 135lb Gold? “Two more finishes — early 2023, […]

Sean O'Malley, Pedro Munhoz, Marlon Vera

Sean O’Malley makes headlines again, as he maps out his plan to a title shot in early 2023, stating highlight-reel finishes over Pedro Munhoz and Marlon Vera will elevate him to challenge for the bantamweight belt.

Could two impressive victories set Sean O’Malley up to challenge for 135lb Gold?

“Two more finishes — early 2023, I’m fighting for the belt, whoever has it,” said O’Malley on the MMA Hour. This confidence in ‘Suga’ has always been an integral aspect of his personality, and it is at an all-time high once again as he prepares for his upcoming bout with Pedro Munhoz at UFC 276.

O’Malley is a born star, who continues to surge and draw attention in and out of the octagon, so if Sean O’Malley can predict his way to a title shot and continue to do so impressively, the UFC will have no option but to grant him a title shot.
O’Malley is currently booked to face Pedro Munhoz and an impressive victory will put him exactly where he needs to be to stake his claim as a top contender in the bantamweight division.

Sean O’Malley talks Pedro Munhoz fight & potential rematch with Marlon Vera

In a recent interview on the MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Sean O’Malley answered questions about his fight with Pedro Munhoz.

O’Malley noted that “It’s a good step up. If you look at his last couple losses there to former champions Dominic Cruz, Jose Aldo, and Frankie Edgar… I think ‘Prelim Pedro’ is the real deal.”

Later in the interview, O’Malley mapped out his route to a title shot in early 2023. He went on to say, “I think after this fight, I go out there, I’ve got to finish Pedro — and I go out there, let’s say I finish Pedro, I get a top-5 guy, whoever that is.”

One potential top-five opponent would be Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera, the only man to have defeated O’Malley so far. O’Malley did not seem adverse to a fight with Vera, stating that “depending on if Chito (Marlon Vera) gets a fight booked, I know that’s a fight that I want.” Having his only professional loss against Marlon Vera, Sean O’Malley said that “he [Vera] has earned” a rematch.

That is a possible rematch that fans and the UFC can get behind, both are young hungry contenders who are eager to challenge for the belt in the talent-rich bantamweight division. Two impressive wins over top contenders in Pedro Munhoz and Marlon Vera will leave Sean O’Malley a definite contender in the bantamweight division. Both fans and the 135lb elite will have their eyes on O’Malley, possibly even more now after his most recent interview.

Will Sean O’Malley fight for the bantamweight title in 2023?

Sean O’Malley: Why Hasn’t Vera Kicked Anyone Else’s Nerve?

UFC bantamweight Sean O’Malley has questioned the absence of the kick that led to his 2020 defeat against Marlon Vera from the Ecuadorian’s game. The one and only blemish on O’Malley’s professional record came at UFC 252. In the co-main event, the rising star shared the Octagon with now-top-five contender “Chito” Vera. Midway through the…

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UFC bantamweight Sean O’Malley has questioned the absence of the kick that led to his 2020 defeat against Marlon Vera from the Ecuadorian’s game.

The one and only blemish on O’Malley’s professional record came at UFC 252. In the co-main event, the rising star shared the Octagon with now-top-five contender “Chito” Vera.

Midway through the opening round, a leg kick appeared to connect with O’Malley’s peroneal nerve, causing a rare instance of “drop foot,” which the likes of Henry Cejudo and Michael Chandler have notably suffered from in the past.

After constantly rolling his ankle courtesy of a lack of control and feeling, “Sugar” was eventually sent to the ground, where Vera unloaded with some brutal elbows to force a TKO stoppage.

The MMA community appeared to be largely split on the result. While some gave full credit to “Chito,” and even attributed the kick to skill and placement over luck, others have suggested that without the unlikely connection to the nerve, the fight would have played out very differently.

It’s pretty clear which side of the fence O’Malley sits on…

O’Malley: Another Vera Fight Wouldn’t Be A Rematch

During an interview with ESPN MMA’s Brett Okamoto, O’Malley discussed the prospect of entering the cage with Vera for a second time. According to the Ecuadorian, the Montana native actually turned down a rematch last year.

Although he believes Vera has now “earned” the right to face him again, O’Malley doesn’t think it would be a rematch. That’s because he’s effectively wiped the first meeting from the record in his mind. Citing the way that the fight ended and his injury as the reason for that, “Sugar” sarcastically noted that Vera hasn’t thrown a kick to the nerve since.

“I don’t really feel like it’s a rematch, I don’t think our fight really got to play out at all. He threw a kick, that he hasn’t thrown again. He hasn’t kicked anyone’s nerve again, I don’t know why he hasn’t been doing that,” O’Malley said. “So, I feel like our fight didn’t get to play out, to where it’s like, a rematch. If we fight, it’s gonna be the first time we fight.”

O’Malley went on to assess Vera’s improvements since they shared the cage in 2020. While he acknowledged that “Chito” has developed his skills, the #13-ranked bantamweight did provide a reminder about the Ecuadorian’s loss to José Aldo, as well as the fact he was likely down on the scorecards before a late knockout against Frankie Edgar.

“People are gonna think I’m a hater. I just — he lost to Aldo, he basically lost to Frankie, in my opinion, he was losing on the cards,” said O’Malley. “Lost to Frankie, throws a little kick, lands it. His performance against Rob (Font) was impressive. We all know he’s durable. He’s definitely improving in his skills when you watch him from fight to fight.

“I think he’s improving. He’s obviously improving with each performance. I don’t look at him as super — he’s just durable. He’s got good skills, and he’s getting better, but he’s just f*cking durable, he’s just stupid tough, and that’s dangerous.”

Having emerged victorious in his main event debut last month, Vera has his sights set on bantamweight gold. Meanwhile, O’Malley is gearing up for his first appearance of the year, which is expected to come against top-10 contender Pedro Munhoz at UFC 276.

Should “Sugar” continue his rise up the 135-pound ladder, it seems that a second date with “Chito” is more than likely.

Sean O'Malley & Marlon Vera
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – AUGUST 14: (L-R) Opponents Sean O’Malley and Marlon Vera of Ecuador face off during the UFC 252 weigh-in at UFC APEX on August 14, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

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

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Aljamain Sterling Applauds ‘Genius’ Sean O’Malley’s Career Path

Aljamiain Sterling is giving Sean O’Malley some props for his methodical UFC rise. The UFC bantamweight title picture might not include Sean O’Malley just yet, but the rising star in the division has title aspirations. O’Malley has had eight fights in the UFC so far and has at times taken criticism for the level of…

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Aljamiain Sterling is giving Sean O’Malley some props for his methodical UFC rise.

The UFC bantamweight title picture might not include Sean O’Malley just yet, but the rising star in the division has title aspirations. O’Malley has had eight fights in the UFC so far and has at times taken criticism for the level of his competition. The only loss of his UFC record so far has been against Marlon Vera, who is currently sitting in the top five.

This slow rise up the rankings by O’Malley has caught the eye of the champion, Aljamain Sterling.

“I think he’s smart, genius,” Sterling told The Schmo via BJPenn.com. “That’s kind of what I wanted to do, take my time, build my name up, get some good wins over unranked opponents where I could capitalize on my grappling but still get time to work on my stand-up in real-time,” Sterling said.

Sterling is now the champion but when he was first a young fighter in the UFC he was pitted against some tough competition. Sterling does not believe O’Malley has had the same difficult path that he has.

“I had to jump into the top 10 in like my third fight,” he explained. “For him, he’s been able to take his time this entire trek, fighting Paiva who should not have been ranked in the first place. I think he’s tough, he’s smart, he’s doing it the right way, doing it his way on his terms and he’s making good money. He’s utilizing the UFC platform and parlaying that into other opportunities for him.”

Sterling has now solidified his position as champion with his first title defense. From this moment on, he will presumably face the best available.

As for O’Malley, he has his next assignment on tap. He is scheduled to face Pedro Munhoz, who is ranked number ten in the division, in July. If O’Malley continues to win and rise up the rankings he could be facing Sterling eventually, either for the title or not.

Do you think Sean O’Malley has what it takes to be a UFC champion one day?

Continue Reading Aljamain Sterling Applauds ‘Genius’ Sean O’Malley’s Career Path at MMA News.

Report | Sean O’Malley Returns At UFC 276, Meets Brazil Veteran Pedro Munhoz On July 2.

Sean O'MalleySet to fight up the official bantamweight rankings for the second bout in a row, surging divisional striker, Sean O’Malley, who currently sits at #13 in the official pile, is set to draw the #10 ranked challenger, Pedro Munhoz in a main card opener of UFC 276 on July 2. The event is scheduled to […]

Sean O'Malley

Set to fight up the official bantamweight rankings for the second bout in a row, surging divisional striker, Sean O’Malley, who currently sits at #13 in the official pile, is set to draw the #10 ranked challenger, Pedro Munhoz in a main card opener of UFC 276 on July 2. The event is scheduled to take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Montana native, Sean O’Malley is currently riding a three-fight winning spree, having rebounded successfully from his first career loss back at UFC 252 in August 2020 where he dropped a first round ground strikes loss to Marlon Vera.

Sean O’Malley has been urged to take a significant step up in competition recently

Sean O’Malley most recently featured on the main card of UFC 269 back in December, defeating Munhoz’s compatriot, the then-top-15 ranked, Raulian Paiva with a one-sided first round knockout victory.

For Munhoz, the Sao Paulo veteran most recently suffered his second consecutive Octagon loss – also featuring on that December pay-per-view card, in a unanimous decision defeat against former two-time bantamweight best, Dominick Cruz. ESPN MMA reporter, Brett Okamoto was first to report O’Malley’s return against Munhoz. 

Before how knockout win over Paiva, O’Malley turned in a bantamweight striking record against short-notice opponent, Kris Moutinho at UFC 264 last July before an eventual third round strikes victory.

The flashy bantamweight striker had successfully returned to the winner’s enclosure against now-promotional alum, Thomas Almeida in March of last year – stopping the Brazilian with a stunning one-punch ground strike knockout win.

Before his defeat to Cruz, Munhoz had met with former featherweight kingpin, Jose Aldo in an all-Brazilian outing – suffering an August unanimous decision drubbing.

In his most recent victory, Munhoz avenged a prior career loss to Jimmie Rivera, adding him to a résumé which includes prior successes against the likes of Cody Garbrandt, Brett Johns, and recent UFC Vegas 53 main event feature, Rob Font.

Sean O’Malley vs. Pedro Munhoz In The Works For UFC 276

UFC fans have been clamoring for Sean O’Malley to face stiffer competition, and it looks like they’ll get their wish in Pedro Munhoz. The targeted matchup between O’Malley and Munhoz was leaked to the general public in the form of the UFC’s matchmaking board. Now, ESPN’s Brett Okamoto is officially reporting that the fight is…

Continue Reading Sean O’Malley vs. Pedro Munhoz In The Works For UFC 276 at MMA News.

UFC fans have been clamoring for Sean O’Malley to face stiffer competition, and it looks like they’ll get their wish in Pedro Munhoz.

The targeted matchup between O’Malley and Munhoz was leaked to the general public in the form of the UFC’s matchmaking board. Now, ESPN’s Brett Okamoto is officially reporting that the fight is in the works.

O’Malley most recently defeated Raulian Paiva at UFC 269 last December. He has won seven of his eight UFC fights, with the lone blemish on his record coming against rising contender Marlon Vera at UFC 252.

O’Malley has bounced back in a big way since the loss to Vera, earning finishes over Thomas Almeida, Kris Moutinho, and Paiva. He made his UFC debut in 2017 against Terrion Ware, earning a unanimous decision victory.

O’Malley got his shot in the UFC following a one-punch knockout against Alfred Khashakyan on Dana White’s Contender Series.

As of the publication of this story, Munhoz is the tenth-ranked bantamweight contender in the UFC. While he’s lost four of his last five, the skid has come against elite competition, including current and former UFC champions like Aljamain Sterling, José Aldo, and Dominick Cruz.

Munhoz’s last win came against Jimmie Rivera in Feb. 2021. He also picked up wins over Cody Garbrandt and Rob Font earlier in his UFC tenure.

UFC 276 doesn’t have an officially announced main event just yet to conclude the UFC’s International Fight Week in Las Vegas. The card could be potentially headlined by a UFC middleweight title fight between Israel Adesanya and Jared Cannonier.

What are your thoughts on the targeted Sean O’Malley vs. Pedro Munhoz matchup?

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