“I think I’m close [to catching Conor McGregor. Conor was good on the mic, and he had a few good performances, but I’m consistent. Right now, I’m fighting a lot, so that’s what I bring to the table.” These were the exact words of the former bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley during his interview with ESPN before his fight with Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306. ‘Suga’ was on the right path to becoming the next big thing in the UFC, but this is the fight that changed everything, feels Joe Rogan.
The UFC color commentator sat down for a chat with Cameron Hanes on his #2316 episode of his JRE podcast. While speaking to Hanes, Rogan made it clear that O’Malley had all the potential to become a superstar of the sport. But sometimes one wrong decision derails a fighter’s career, and that is what happened at UFC 306. Rogan said, “You know, ‘Suga’ Sean O’Malley could have had it if he beat Merab, you know. But that was a nightmare match-up up and he had a f…d up hip going into that fight”. The former champion suffered a torn labrum in his left hip just before the clash.
However, Rogan feels that just because the event in Sphere was so hyped up, he couldn’t decline the UFC CEO, Dana White. But was he correct in going into the fight not fully fit? Rogan feels he was not as he facing one of the most elite grapplers in the division. The 57-year-old further added, ” It’s one of those things the UFC was putting on this big show at the Sphere, which was insane. So for him to take that fight with a bad hip is crazy. But with a bad hip when you’re fighting a wrestler and you weren’t wrestling at all in training because your hip’s bad, that’s crazy. You’ve got to get it fixed. Just get it fixed. Tell them it blew out and you can’t walk. You’ve got to think about the legacy in the future.”
Sean O’Malley now has his shot at redemption. After months of rumors and anticipation, UFC CEO has confirmed that O’Malley will defend his Bantamweight title against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 316, on June 7 in Newark, New Jersey. It’s a highly anticipated rematch that ‘Suga’ has been eyeing for some time. However, the former champion will have a lot at stake when he takes on ‘The Machine’, who is on an 11-fight win streak. Is ‘Suga’ ready for the challenge? Well, looking at his recent message, it seems he is.
Sean O’Malley is looking to settle his score with Merab Dvalishvili once and for all
O’Malley broke his silence on Instagram, posting the official fight poster along with a brief yet loaded message: “See you June 7th.” It was a short statement, but the message behind it rang loud and clear—he’s coming for payback. Their first encounter was a rough one for ‘Suga,’ as Dvalishvili smothered him with non-stop wrestling, leaving O’Malley with little room to breathe. Now, he’s ready to flip the script. Since dethroning O’Malley at UFC 306, ‘The Machine’ has been nothing short of relentless. He cemented his reign by defending the bantamweight title against the highly touted Umar Nurmagomedov in January, proving he’s not slowing down anytime soon.
On the other hand, O’Malley has spent the past few months on the sidelines, recovering from hip surgery and biding his time. We all know that as a fighter, Sean O’Malley always does his homework. He analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of his opponents, and after his loss against the champion, he was devastated. During one of the episodes of the TimboSugarShow podcast, he said, “I think it’s good to be confident in your skills, but I overpromised, underdelivered,”. ‘Suga’ will now have to keep his last performance aside and focus on the upcoming clash. The good news for the fans is that we will be seeing a fully fit Sean O’Malley.
Do you think he can win back his belt at UFC 316? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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