Tag: Tim Welch

Sean O’Malley’s Coach Claims Umar Nurmagomedov Can Afford Fighting Injured Due To His Last Name

The first UFC pay-per-view for 2025, UFC 311, will be headlined by Islam Makhachev as he defends his lightweight title against Arman Tsarukyan. In the co-main event, Merab Dvalishvili will also aim to defend his UFC bantamweight title against Umar Nurmagomedov. Two highly competitive title fights in a single card is naturally a delight for […]

The first UFC pay-per-view for 2025, UFC 311, will be headlined by Islam Makhachev as he defends his lightweight title against Arman Tsarukyan. In the co-main event, Merab Dvalishvili will also aim to defend his UFC bantamweight title against Umar Nurmagomedov.

Two highly competitive title fights in a single card is naturally a delight for fans worldwide. However, it didn’t sit well with many when Nurmagomedov shed light on his arm injury leading up to UFC 311.

Early rumors suggested that the arm injury would stop him from competing in January 2025. However, the Dagestani prospect eventaully agreed to fight “The Machine”. Even though X-ray reports suggested that he broke his arm, Nurmagomedov continued training and now feels fit enough to take part in his first UFC title fight.

Sean O’Malley is no stranger to enterting the Octagon with injuries. While discussing the topic in an interview for the Submission Radio YouTube channel, the former champ’s coach Tim Welch had an interesting take on why Nurmagomedov could be fighting with an injury at UFC 311.

“They know they’re going to get the title shot eventually. So, I don’t think he’s going to be that hurt. I think he’s probably going to be, probably more healthy and more ready than people think. And, yeah, it’s like I said, for these title shots, it’s like, for some people, you’ll get one title shot your whole career, the rest of your life. For Umar, with his last name, I feel like even if he lost this Merab fight, he wins two more, he gets back into the title picture.”

According to “Red Hawk”, being associated with the Nurmagodeov clan greatly benefits the UFC 311 title challenger. He stated that even if the undefeated bantamweight loses his first shot at the title, he’ll likely find himself in the same scenario with another win or two.

Welch thinks that having some of the best and most popular MMA fighters in his camp also ensures that Nurmagomedov’s decision to fight at UFC 311 is calculated. He expects the Dagestani clan to stop Dvalishvili from getting into comfortable ground positions which will eventually affect his cardio.

Sean O’Malley’s Coach Analyzes How He Would Fare Against Ilia Topuria

UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria is the man of the moment right now following his knockout win over Max Holloway in the main event of UFC 308. In the past, there was a lot of people calling out “El Matador” but this has gone quiet following this recent performance. The new UFC star has now […]

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UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria is the man of the moment right now following his knockout win over Max Holloway in the main event of UFC 308. In the past, there was a lot of people calling out “El Matador” but this has gone quiet following this recent performance.

The new UFC star has now beaten two great former champions in back-to-back fights, finishing both Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski. It wasn’t that long ago that the champion of the weight class below was eyeing up a fight with him.

Before Sean O’Malley lost his bantamweight belt to Merab Dvalishvili, who certainly isn’t going to fight Topuria, “Suga” had teased the idea of moving up in weight. Topuria appeared to welcome it but after what he did in Abu Dhabi at the weekend, O’Malley jokingly remarked that he’s no longer interested.

Despite this, O’Malley’s long time coach Tim Welch believes that the 135-pounder could cause Topuria some issues due to the strengths be brings to the table. Many are looking at the featherweight champion and his undefeated record as an unbeatable fighter in this current form.

Welch explained in a recent interview with Submission Radio why this is never the case and how O’Malley would be able to have success against him.

“No, I don’t think it’s past. I mean, you never know what’s going to happen in the UFC. It’s not impossible that Volkanovski goes out there and beats Ilia Topuria. I mean, that’s possible so you never know and I do think stylistically, Sean could give Ilia problems. He really could but Ilia Topuria is a very, very scary fight.

“That’s not a fight that you go in there and be like, ‘Oh yeah man we’re gonna…’, it’s like you make one mistake with Ilia Topuria and you’re going to be lights out, looking up at the ceiling or whatever but that’s a scary, scary fight. But I do believe that Sean, with his range and with his speed and with his, with his I mean, just his, his overall skill set, he could give Ilia problems. I do believe that.”

Continue Reading Sean O’Malley’s Coach Analyzes How He Would Fare Against Ilia Topuria at MMA News.

“Big” John McCarthy Responds After Sean O’Malley’s Coach Pleads ‘Excessive Coaching’ Case At UFC 306

“Big” John McCarthy recently addressed Sean O’Malley’s coach after Tim Welch sought clarification on the controversial excessive coaching incident at UFC 306. Dvalishvili secured a dominant unanimous decision victory over “Suga” to capture the bantamweight title at UFC 306 earlier this month. While the outcome was unquestionably clear at the end of the day, the […]

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“Big” John McCarthy recently addressed Sean O’Malley’s coach after Tim Welch sought clarification on the controversial excessive coaching incident at UFC 306.

Dvalishvili secured a dominant unanimous decision victory over “Suga” to capture the bantamweight title at UFC 306 earlier this month. While the outcome was unquestionably clear at the end of the day, the fight took an unusual turn just moments after it began.

“The Machine” suddenly paused mid-action, gesturing furiously toward his opponent’s corner, prompting referee Herb Dean to step in. Dean reprimanded Dvalishvili for interrupting the match and also gave Welch a warning for overstepping his coaching boundaries, citing the ‘excessive coaching’ rule.

In the days following the fight, Welch broke his silence on the controversial incident, admitting he did shout at Dvalishvili but claimed he only told him to “be patient.” He also acknowledged that some of his instructions for O’Malley included “The Machine’s” name, brushing it off as merely a case of normal coaching and insisting it had no impact on the outcome of the bout.

However, veteran referee McCarthy believes Welch’s actions crossed a line and constituted clear misconduct…

McCarthy Cautions Welch On Interference with Opponents During Fights

During a recent appearance on the WEIGHING IN podcast, Welch posed a question to McCarthy, asking how he would have handled the situation if a similar incident to UFC 306’s main event unfolded under his watch.

The renowned MMA referee responded candidly, stating that he would have swiftly issued Welch a stern warning. Furthermore, McCarthy made it clear that if the behavior persisted, he wouldn’t hesitate to eject Welch from the arena in accordance with official refereeing guidelines.

“I’m being honest, I would have talked to you in the beginning,” McCarthy said. “I would have said, ‘Hey, look, I need you to understand I cannot have you talking to the opponent in any fashion. So when you say ‘Merab, you’ve got to look out,’ even if it’s a call sign for you guys, you’re making it sound like you’re talking to the opponent. So right away, I would have said, ‘Hey, I’m telling you now, stop. We talked about this. If you do it again, I’m going to remove you from this arena,’ which I don’t want to do.”

“Obviously, that would affect your fighter and everything, so it’s the last thing you want to do. But yeah, it’s right in the rules that you can talk to Sean all you want, and we want you to be able to coach and talk to him and give him good, you know, feedback, but we cannot have you in any fashion talking to the opponent or talking to the referee during the round.”

Welch also faced significant backlash when footage surfaced from UFC 292 in August 2023, where he allegedly attempted to mislead Aljamain Sterling, trying to lure him into a reckless charge toward O’Malley.

Continue Reading “Big” John McCarthy Responds After Sean O’Malley’s Coach Pleads ‘Excessive Coaching’ Case At UFC 306 at MMA News.

“Big” John McCarthy Responds After Sean O’Malley’s Coach Pleads ‘Excessive Coaching’ Case At UFC 306

“Big” John McCarthy recently addressed Sean O’Malley’s coach after Tim Welch sought clarification on the controversial excessive coaching incident at UFC 306. Dvalishvili secured a dominant unanimous decision victory over “Suga” to capture the bantamweight title at UFC 306 earlier this month. While the outcome was unquestionably clear at the end of the day, the […]

Continue Reading “Big” John McCarthy Responds After Sean O’Malley’s Coach Pleads ‘Excessive Coaching’ Case At UFC 306 at MMA News.

“Big” John McCarthy recently addressed Sean O’Malley’s coach after Tim Welch sought clarification on the controversial excessive coaching incident at UFC 306.

Dvalishvili secured a dominant unanimous decision victory over “Suga” to capture the bantamweight title at UFC 306 earlier this month. While the outcome was unquestionably clear at the end of the day, the fight took an unusual turn just moments after it began.

“The Machine” suddenly paused mid-action, gesturing furiously toward his opponent’s corner, prompting referee Herb Dean to step in. Dean reprimanded Dvalishvili for interrupting the match and also gave Welch a warning for overstepping his coaching boundaries, citing the ‘excessive coaching’ rule.

In the days following the fight, Welch broke his silence on the controversial incident, admitting he did shout at Dvalishvili but claimed he only told him to “be patient.” He also acknowledged that some of his instructions for O’Malley included “The Machine’s” name, brushing it off as merely a case of normal coaching and insisting it had no impact on the outcome of the bout.

However, veteran referee McCarthy believes Welch’s actions crossed a line and constituted clear misconduct…

McCarthy Cautions Welch On Interference with Opponents During Fights

During a recent appearance on the WEIGHING IN podcast, Welch posed a question to McCarthy, asking how he would have handled the situation if a similar incident to UFC 306’s main event unfolded under his watch.

The renowned MMA referee responded candidly, stating that he would have swiftly issued Welch a stern warning. Furthermore, McCarthy made it clear that if the behavior persisted, he wouldn’t hesitate to eject Welch from the arena in accordance with official refereeing guidelines.

“I’m being honest, I would have talked to you in the beginning,” McCarthy said. “I would have said, ‘Hey, look, I need you to understand I cannot have you talking to the opponent in any fashion. So when you say ‘Merab, you’ve got to look out,’ even if it’s a call sign for you guys, you’re making it sound like you’re talking to the opponent. So right away, I would have said, ‘Hey, I’m telling you now, stop. We talked about this. If you do it again, I’m going to remove you from this arena,’ which I don’t want to do.”

“Obviously, that would affect your fighter and everything, so it’s the last thing you want to do. But yeah, it’s right in the rules that you can talk to Sean all you want, and we want you to be able to coach and talk to him and give him good, you know, feedback, but we cannot have you in any fashion talking to the opponent or talking to the referee during the round.”

Welch also faced significant backlash when footage surfaced from UFC 292 in August 2023, where he allegedly attempted to mislead Aljamain Sterling, trying to lure him into a reckless charge toward O’Malley.

Continue Reading “Big” John McCarthy Responds After Sean O’Malley’s Coach Pleads ‘Excessive Coaching’ Case At UFC 306 at MMA News.

Sean O’Malley’s Coach Reveals UFC Rules He Would Change: ‘Aljo Does It…’

Many rules have been a bone of contention in MMA circles as they can vary across promotions. For instance, the UFC doesn’t allow knees to grounded opponents or 12-6 elbows, unlike ONE Championship. On the flip side, moves like eye pokes, groin strikes, and headbutts are banned across all major promotions for obvious safety reasons. […]

Continue Reading Sean O’Malley’s Coach Reveals UFC Rules He Would Change: ‘Aljo Does It…’ at MMA News.

Many rules have been a bone of contention in MMA circles as they can vary across promotions. For instance, the UFC doesn’t allow knees to grounded opponents or 12-6 elbows, unlike ONE Championship. On the flip side, moves like eye pokes, groin strikes, and headbutts are banned across all major promotions for obvious safety reasons.

Obeying the rules of the promotion and the commission you’re fighting under is very important for fighters. Jon Jones lost to Matt Hamill via DQ because he landed multiple 12-6 elbows and similarly, Petr Yan lost his UFC bantamweight championship for landing an illegal knee on Aljamain Sterling.

Sean O’Malley’s coach Tim Welch believes a couple of rules in MMA should change to stop fighters from exploiting them…

Sean O’Malley’s Coach Reveals How Aljamain Sterling Exploits A UFC Rule And Wishes To Get It Changed

Welch was asked about the MMA rules he would change on his official YouTube podcast, recently. Right away, he mentioned that fighters should be able to upkick opponents on top of them.

It is worth noting that upkicks from the ground to a standing opponent aren’t illegal in the UFC. In fact, Niko Price and Jon Fitch finished their opponents via upkicks in the promotion.

However, it is illegal to upkick an opponent while their knees are down. Back in May 2021, Randa Markos was disqualified for kicking Luana Pinheiro from the ground while the latter’s was sitting on the ground.

Charles Oliveira is notorious for landing upkicks too. He threw one at Islam Makhachev that could’ve knocked the Dagestani fighter out. Even against Tsarukyan, he landed an illegal upkick as the opponent’s knees were grounded following which the referee warned “Do Bronxs” and stopped the action temporarily.

Welch, though, believes that the upkicks to a grounded opponent should be legal in the UFC. Another tactic he dislikes is fighters staying in a safe front headlock position to rest up as they cannot be kneed during the time.

Welch called out Sterling for exploiting the grounded fighter rule sometimes and a great example of this is when “Funkmaster” took on Henry Cejudo. During multiple exchanges when Aljo would shoot for a takedown and fail, he would immediately bend his knees, leaving Cejudo with no viable moves.

“The upkicks. If some f*****g guy’s on top of you, on his knees, whatever, you should be able to upkick him to his f*****g lips. I think that front headlock one too. People shoot into a front headlock and they can hang out there without getting damage and almost rest there. I mean, Aljo does it sometimes but to be able to knee the top of their head, boom, boom, boom, so they can’t rest there. So if you shoot in a front headlock, you fail on a shot, you got to pull the half guard and get to your back or you got to make a move. Not just sit in that frontlock thinking I’m safe.”

Continue Reading Sean O’Malley’s Coach Reveals UFC Rules He Would Change: ‘Aljo Does It…’ at MMA News.

Sean O’Malley’s Coach Rejects ‘Unsportsmanlike’ Accusations At UFC 306: ‘This Is A Fight!’ 

Tim Welch, coach of recently dethroned UFC star Sean O’Malley, has hit back at claims his calls to opposition fighters from the corner is “unsportsmanlike.” Welch was unable to guide his man to a second successful title defense in Las Vegas this past weekend, where the unique Sphere venue played host to the UFC’s second […]

Continue Reading Sean O’Malley’s Coach Rejects ‘Unsportsmanlike’ Accusations At UFC 306: ‘This Is A Fight!’  at MMA News.

Tim Welch, coach of recently dethroned UFC star Sean O’Malley, has hit back at claims his calls to opposition fighters from the corner is “unsportsmanlike.”

Welch was unable to guide his man to a second successful title defense in Las Vegas this past weekend, where the unique Sphere venue played host to the UFC’s second annual celebration of Mexican Independence Day.

“Suga” was comfortably outpointed across five rounds by Merab Dvalishvili, who recorded an 11th straight triumph inside the Octagon to secure his long-awaited championship crowning on MMA’s biggest stage.

The headlining fight was an odd affair, and that was the case almost immediately. In the opening seconds, referee Herb Dean had to interfere as Dvalishvili began lambasting O’Malley’s corner.

As it turned out, coach Welch had been up to his old tricks, repeating the opposition coaching he employed in an attempt to fool Aljamain Sterling into an ill-advised rush in Boston last year.

The Georgian wasn’t about to let those antics go unanswered, and many in the community have since backed him up and criticized the actions of O’Malley’s trainer.

Coach Welch On Controversial Corner Strategy: ‘If There’s Any Way To Do A Little Bit Of Mind Games…’

During a video recently uploaded to his YouTube channel, Welch reflected on his man’s championship loss inside the Sphere and touched on the controversy surrounding his input in the fight.

Welch said he was surprised at Dvalishvili’s emotional outburst following one remark early on, which he went on to defend by insisting that he’ll always look for an edge that could aid his fighter inside the cage.

“He must have been anticipating that a little bit. But I really wasn’t going out of my way to yell,” Welch said. “I was surprised how much he freaked out. He let his emotions freakin’ get to him in there. But, it didn’t do anything, it didn’t matter one bit.

“It’s not like I’m being unsportsmanlike. I mean, it’s a little mind games. People sometimes forget that this is a fight. He’s fighting my buddy, a really close buddy who I’ve spent a lot of years growing up with. He’s fighting him, trying to beat him up,” Welch continued. “If there’s any way to do a little bit of mind games when it comes to war, I’m gonna do it. If I was your coach and I thought it might help you win, maybe just a little bit, then I’d probably do it also.”

Whether or not such a strategy contributed to O’Malley’s title-winning performance against Sterling is up for debate, but there’s no doubt about the lack of affect it had on proceedings at UFC 306.

Continue Reading Sean O’Malley’s Coach Rejects ‘Unsportsmanlike’ Accusations At UFC 306: ‘This Is A Fight!’  at MMA News.