Tag: Tim Welch

Sean O’Malley’s Coach Talks Souring Of Relationship With Conor McGregor: ‘Before Going To The Arena, We’d Put On Conor Highlights…’

Sean O’Malley’s coach, Tim Welch, recently affirmed that despite their fallout, they still hold Conor McGregor in high regard. For years, McGregor and O’Malley have shared a good rappot with one another. However, recent months have seen this camaraderie deteriorate as the two UFC stars find themselves entangled in a growing feud on social media. […]

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Sean O’Malley’s coach, Tim Welch, recently affirmed that despite their fallout, they still hold Conor McGregor in high regard.

For years, McGregor and O’Malley have shared a good rappot with one another. However, recent months have seen this camaraderie deteriorate as the two UFC stars find themselves entangled in a growing feud on social media.

It all began in May, when “The Notorious” erupted on social media, launching a tirade against boxer Ryan Garcia after he tested positive for the banned substance ostarine following his victory over Devin Haney.

In the midst of his outburst, McGregor took a swipe at O’Malley, lumping him together with Garcia due to the reigning UFC bantamweight champion’s own positive test for ostarine back in 2019.

There was a time when “Suga” revered and emulated McGregor, even seemingly adopting his flashy persona from the iconic Irishman. However, after “The Notorious” took jabs at him, that admiration seems to have faded. Last month, O’Malley unleashed a scathing critique of his former idol’s fighting skills in a series of blistering social media posts.

However, Welch maintains that regardless of the current discord, he and O’Malley still deeply respect McGregor, recognizing the significant legacy he has left in the realm of MMA…

Welch Finds Friction With McGregor ‘A Little Weird’

During a recent interview with Submission Radio, Welch shared his perspective on the ongoing social media rift between O’Malley and McGregor. The MMA coach revealed that “Suga” used to be McGregor’s biggest admirer, and now witnessing their camaraderie diminish feels surreal to him.

“I mean, we still respect him. Literally, Sean was his number one fan,” Welch said. “Before going to the arena, we’d put on Conor highlights because he’s been in so many high-pressure moments. He’s good at staying calm, he’s good at staying present, and he’s a good finisher. So yeah, we have respect for him, but it’s definitely a little weird.”

Welch further commented on the hypothetical matchup with “The Notorious” that O’Malley had previously mentioned, stating that it would be a formidable challenge for his protégé.

“The only way it’d be possible is if they fought at 155 pounds, and I mean, that’s a scary fight. Conor is huge, he’s explosive, he’s quick, and he’s got good reaction time. But right now, Sean is in his prime. His confidence is so high, he switches stances, and his fight IQ is so high. So to say there’s no way we’d win that fight is stupid. There are definitely ways we could win it, but obviously, it’s a dangerous fight. He’s huge for Sean.”

Continue Reading Sean O’Malley’s Coach Talks Souring Of Relationship With Conor McGregor: ‘Before Going To The Arena, We’d Put On Conor Highlights…’ at MMA News.

Sean O’Malley coach Tim Welch reveals why referee warned him during UFC 292 headliner

O'MalleyMoments before Sean O’Malley delivered a perfectly timed counter right hand that made him a world champion, his coach, Tim Welch, was given a stern warning by referee Marc Goddard. ‘Sugar’ scored the biggest win of his mixed martial arts career on August 19, landing a highlight-reel-worthy knockout against Aljamain Sterling in the second round […]

O'Malley

Moments before Sean O’Malley delivered a perfectly timed counter right hand that made him a world champion, his coach, Tim Welch, was given a stern warning by referee Marc Goddard.

‘Sugar’ scored the biggest win of his mixed martial arts career on August 19, landing a highlight-reel-worthy knockout against Aljamain Sterling in the second round of their UFC 292 headliner. But moments before the epic knockout blow landed, O’Malley’s longtime coach and podcast partner, Tim Welch was reprimanded by the presiding referee.

Many fans were left confused as to what Welch was doing off-camera that garnered the referee’s attention, but in a recent MiddleEasy exclusive interview with James Lynch, Welch revealed the reason.

“I just was talking to Aljo, because I knew in Aljo’s last three fights, he pressures people until they kick,” Welch said. “And when they kick, he catches the kick and runs them into the fence. Cory Sandhagen, TJ Dillashaw, some of his fights he does that.

I just wanted to remind him of Marlon Moraes… a ‘Marlon Moraes’ is coming, I wanted to do something to hesitate him from coming forward so hard and taking such shots. I wanted to freeze him up a little bit. It might’ve been worth it, might not have, but [Marc Goddard] was just saying ‘Don’t talk to Aljo’” (h/t MMA News).

Maybe it worked. Maybe it didn’t. But we all know what happened roughly 60 seconds later.

Fresh off his big title win, Sean O’Malley is already looking toward his first UFC title defense. Determined to return to the Octagon in December for UFC 296, ‘Sugar’ has his sights set on a clash with the only man to defeat him under the UFC banner, Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera. No official announcements have been made as O’Malley is currently nursing a rib injury sustained during the UFC 292 main event, but all signs currently point to O’Malley vs. ‘Chito’ running it back later this year.

Jared Cannonier picked to beat Khamzat Chimaev after record setting win: ‘I think over five rounds, he f*cks him up’

Jared Cannonier picked to beat Khamzat Chimaev I think he f*cks him up UFCWhilst initially shutting down the prospect of a matchup with the undefeated welterweight, Khamzat Chimaev following his record-setting UFC Vegad 75 victory over the course of last weekend, Jared Cannonier has been backed to hand the Chechen his first-ever professional loss, by head coach, Tim Welch. Cannonier, who improved to 2-0 since he unsuccessfully challenged […]

Jared Cannonier picked to beat Khamzat Chimaev I think he f*cks him up UFC

Whilst initially shutting down the prospect of a matchup with the undefeated welterweight, Khamzat Chimaev following his record-setting UFC Vegad 75 victory over the course of last weekend, Jared Cannonier has been backed to hand the Chechen his first-ever professional loss, by head coach, Tim Welch.

Cannonier, who improved to 2-0 since he unsuccessfully challenged for middleweight gold back in July of last year during International Fight Week, turned in a dominant unanimous decision victory against fellow one-time title chaser, Marvin Vettori at the UFC Apex facility.

The Dallas native had previously returned to the winner’s enclosure back in December of last year in a main event fight against Sean Strickland, defeating the perennial contender in a close, debated split decision triumph. 

Weighing up the prospect of fighting Chimaev next – with the AllStars MMA staple expected to make a move to the middleweight limit for his Octagon return, Cannonier claimed he would only entertain a bout if he was guaranteed a title tilt with a victory.

“Does that fight [with Khamzat Chimaev] give me a title shot?” Jared Cannonier after UFC Vegas 75. “I don’t know, he’s not even ranked in middleweight. So, I mean, I know he’s popular. Everybody wants to see him do his thing and stuff like that. If they call me and say, ‘Hey, how’s that for contenders match?’ That’s a yes.”

“I’m trying to get to the title,” Jared Cannonier explained. “I’m not just fighting to entertain you people. You know what I mean? I know you guys want to see it. I know it will be a good fight. If that fights get me the title shot, yes. I just beat number three. I’m not looking back. I’m looking forward. I’m looking at the champion, So if Dana (White) and Hunter (Campbell) say he’s between you and a champion, then that’s something we can talk about. But if you saying would you fight Khamzat and welcome him in the division, I’m like, does that give me to the title? That’s the question I’d have for you.” 

Jared Cannonier backed to bring stern challenge to Khamzat Chimaev

However, according to Welch – who prominently trains incoming UFC 292 headliner and bantamweight contender, Sean O’Malley, Cannonier would likely *f*ck” Chimaev up if they ever shared the Octagon.

“Dude, him (Jared Cannonier) breaking the record, that much output from a big guy like that is f*cking next level,” Welch said on the TimboSugarShow podcast. “That much output, five rounds. I mean, who does he go against next? Someone was asking about Khamzat (Chimaev).

“He wants whatever’s gonna give him the title,” Welch explained. “But that would be f*cking sick. I think, [over] five rounds, Jared f*cks him up.” (Transcribed by MMA News)

Aljamain Sterling branded ‘Most dangerous bantamweight there’s ever been’ ahead of UFC 292 return

Aljamain Sterling branded most dangerous bantamweight there's ever been ahead of UFC 292 fightExpected to share the Octagon with surging contender, Sean O’Malley at UFC 292 later this year, undisputed bantamweight champion, Aljamain Sterling has been described as the most dangerous 135lbs titleholder in Octagon history, by the Montana native’s head coach, Tim Welch. Sterling, the current undisputed bantamweight champion, most recently headlined UFC 288 earlier this month, […]

Aljamain Sterling branded most dangerous bantamweight there's ever been ahead of UFC 292 fight

Expected to share the Octagon with surging contender, Sean O’Malley at UFC 292 later this year, undisputed bantamweight champion, Aljamain Sterling has been described as the most dangerous 135lbs titleholder in Octagon history, by the Montana native’s head coach, Tim Welch.

Sterling, the current undisputed bantamweight champion, most recently headlined UFC 288 earlier this month, securing a close, split decision win over the returning former duel-weight champion, Henry Cejudo.

Off the back of the decision triumph, Sterling became the most successful bantamweight champion in the history of the UFC, becoming the first to secure three consecutive successful title defenses to boot. 

Aljamain Sterling pumps the brakes on a UFC 292 fight with Sean O’Malley

Expected to face Dana White’s Contender Series product, O’Malley at UFC 292 on August 19. in his next expected title defense – despite noting a slew of injuries he is currently dealing with, Sterling’s strengths have been lauded by Welch, who described him as the most dangerous bantamweight in UFC history. 

“Stylistically, I think this is the most dangerous bantamweight champion there’s ever been,” Tim Welch told ESPN during a recent interview. “I really think that. He’s (Aljamain Sterling) so athletic, long and strong. He’s not just a good wrestler, he’s a good wrestler with good Jiu-Jitsu, and he’s very funky. He switches stances, throws spazzy things at you, he’s good at chaining his wrestling together – most dangerous bantamweight ever, in my opinion.”

“If you make one simple mistake, he’s going to be on your back the whole time,” Welch said of Aljamain Sterling. “His cardio has gotten better. He’s not only good at grappling, but MMA grappling. The timing is going to be right when he’s ready to start punching you, or advancing to half guard, or mounting and forcing you to give up your back. He’s very good physically and technically.” 

Dvalishvili’s Coach Admits He Too Trash Talked O’Malley’s Corner During Fight

Merab Dvalishvili’s head coach, John Wood, recently revealed what he, too, yelled at Sean O’Malley’s corner, specifically his coach Tim Welch, during the heat of their clash at Noche UFC 306. “The Machine” put on a dominant display against reigning champion O’Malley, claiming the UFC bantamweight title last Saturday inside the Sphere in Las Vegas, […]

Continue Reading Dvalishvili’s Coach Admits He Too Trash Talked O’Malley’s Corner During Fight at MMA News.

Merab Dvalishvili’s head coach, John Wood, recently revealed what he, too, yelled at Sean O’Malley’s corner, specifically his coach Tim Welch, during the heat of their clash at Noche UFC 306.

“The Machine” put on a dominant display against reigning champion O’Malley, claiming the UFC bantamweight title last Saturday inside the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada. Dvalishvili commanded the majority of the bout, expertly delivering well-timed takedowns to counter “Suga” and keep him at arm’s length. Ultimately, the Georgian powerhouse walked away with a decisive unanimous decision win.

While Dvalishvili commanded the entire bout, effortlessly executing his game plan, the real stir came when the newly crowned champion suddenly interrupted the proceedings, fiercely gesturing towards O’Malley’s corner just moments into the fight. The sequence triggered swift intervention from referee Herb Dean.

In a recent tweet, Dvalishvili revealed that Welch was trying to pull the same stunt he had used against Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292 last year. Welch had shouted instructions, seemingly to trick Sterling into believing they came from his own corner during his fight with O’Malley. This time, he attempted the same tactic at Noche UFC 306, which is why “The Machine” immediately protested.

Although Dvalishvili didn’t fall for the ruse, Wood claims he decided to play the same card against O’Malley himself…

Wood Takes A Swing At Welch, Tells Him To Leave Trash Talk To The Fighters

During a recent interview with MMAFightingonSBN, Wood weighed in on the fiasco between Dvalishvili and O’Malley’s corner at Noche UFC 306. The seasoned MMA coach expressed that, while he respects Welch as a person, his antics to distract opponents don’t align with the true spirit of the sport. Wood admitted that after seeing Welch’s attempts to mess with his fighter, he decided to turn the tables, using a similar tactic on “Suga”—but with his own twist.

“That’s not our job, Wood said. “I’m not trashing Tim for anything he does. I respect Tim, but it is a bullsh*t move. I was yelling at Tim across the cage several times when Sean would mess up, and I was making sure Sean heard me calling out everything that he wanted to throw. When he would do something stupid, I caught myself a couple of times in the fight, going, ‘Tim, did you teach him that? That was terrible’ across the cage.”

Wood didn’t hold back and fired yet another salvo at “Suga’s” coach, criticizing him for trying to rattle Dvalishvili during the media events. He advised Welch to leave the trash-talking to the fighters where it belongs.

“Fighters are there to trash talk, to build the fight, do their thing, whether they like each other, don’t like each other, but I don’t think it’s a place for coaches to get in. Tim was doing some stuff beforehand, like at the weigh-ins, he was talking sh*t to Merab on camera, saying things, and that’s fine. If you really feel like you need that mental edge, and especially if you could see how fragile Sean was and how quickly he broke, maybe they do. But like I said, I have nothing against Tim. The tactics, I wouldn’t do it; I don’t need the shine. I don’t need to be the guy in front of my fighter looking to get any kind of attention.”

Continue Reading Dvalishvili’s Coach Admits He Too Trash Talked O’Malley’s Corner During Fight at MMA News.

Bellator 113 Results: Newton Edges Vegh, “Pitbull” Freire Buries “Caveman” Rickels

Much to Bellator’s dismay, their light heavyweight title belongs to someone not named Muhammad “King Mo” Lawal; Emanuel Newton bested Attila Vegh in a lackluster decision at Bellator 113 to unify the light heavyweight strap. The first round of Bellator’s season 10 lightweight tournament took place at Bellator 113 too.

But the first notable event of the night happened on the prelims. A bout between journeymen Daniel Gallemore and Fredrick Brown ended with one of the worst stoppages in MMA history. Gallemore elbowed Brown, putting him out on his feet. After a few punches from Gallemore, Brown faceplanted. At this point, Brown was clearly “done” but referee Chuck Wolfe allowed about a dozen more blows to land before he had seen enough. It was despicable, to say the least. See for yourself (GIF via @ZProphet_MMA)

Other preliminary card events of importance: Derek Anderson kneed Brandon Girtz’s head into the rafters in the night’s first lightweight tournament quarterfinal. Former WEC standout LC Davis was scheduled to fight on the prelims, but his fight was moved to after the main card. At the time of writing, the results of this fight aren’t available. We’ll update the article when they are.

Much to Bellator’s dismay, their light heavyweight title belongs to someone not named Muhammad “King Mo” Lawal; Emanuel Newton bested Attila Vegh in a lackluster decision at Bellator 113 to unify the light heavyweight strap. The first round of Bellator’s season 10 lightweight tournament took place at Bellator 113 too.

But the first notable event of the night happened on the prelims. A bout between journeymen Daniel Gallemore and Fredrick Brown ended with one of the worst stoppages in MMA history. Gallemore elbowed Brown, putting him out on his feet. After a few punches from Gallemore, Brown faceplanted. At this point, Brown was clearly “done” but referee Chuck Wolfe allowed about a dozen more blows to land before he had seen enough. It was despicable, to say the least. See for yourself (GIF via @ZProphet_MMA)

Other preliminary card events of importance: Derek Anderson kneed Brandon Girtz’s head into the rafters in the night’s first lightweight tournament quarterfinal. Former WEC standout LC Davis was scheduled to fight on the prelims, but his fight was moved to after the main card; it wasn’t televised or streamed. Davis won via guillotine with only two seconds left in the first round.

In the first televised fight, Tim Welch fought Derek Campos in another lightweight tournament quarterfinal bout. The first round was evenly matched, but Campos was more aggressive, consistently pushing Welch back with his striking. He also landed more strikes. Campos almost finished Welch in the second, wobbling him with a right hand. He neglected to swarm a battered Welch, however. Instead, he opted for a takedown, which allowed Welch to recover and eventually rise to his feet. The third round didn’t feature much action. Campos took Welch to the ground and held him there. Unsurprisingly, Campos got the nod from the judges.

It didn’t take long for Polish prospect Marcin Held to defeat Rodrigo Cavalheiro. After a very brief striking scuffle, Held took Cavalheiro to the mat and submitted the Brazilian with a toehold.

In the night’s co-main event, David Rickels fought Patricky “Pitbull” Freire. This was also the last lightweight tournament quarterfinal of the night. The first round was, essentially, five minutes of brawling with some grappling interspersed. Rickels got the better of nearly every exchange in the first round, but that changed in the second. Freire hurt Rickels with a right hook, swarmed in, and then dropped him cold with a left hook. After one follow-up strike, it was called off.

The lightweight tournament semifinals will be as follows:

Patricky “Pitbull” Freire vs. Derek Campos.
Marcin Held vs. Derek Anderson

Bellator 113′s main event was to unify Bellator’s light heavyweight title. Interim champ Emanuel Newton faced non-interim champion Attila Vegh. It was a long, boring 25 minutes, that featured ineffective striking and lots of missed “spinning shit.” There really isn’t much to tell other than that both guys threw lots of strikes that amounted to nothing. If you DVR’d the event, watch this on fast forward if you feel the need to watch at all. Twitter pundits scored it every way imaginable, but the only people that mattered (the judges) gave it to Newton.

Complete Results:

Main Card

Emanuel Newton def. Attila Vegh via split decision (48-47, 47-48, 49-46)
Patricky Freire def. David Rickels via KO (punches), 0:54 of round 2
Marcin Held def. Rodrigo Cavalheiro via submission (toe hold), 1:56 of round 1
Derek Campos def. Tim Welch via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Preliminary Card

LC Davis def. Tory Bogguess via submission (guillotine), 4:58 of round 1
Derek Anderson def. Brandon Girtz via KO (knee), 0:23 of round 2
Israel Giron def. Cody Carrillo via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Eric Wisely def. Donnie Bell via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
Daniel Gallemore def. Fredrick Brown via TKO (punches), 3:34 of round 1
Bobby Cooper def. Marcio Navarro via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)