The Impeccable and Thrilling Rise Of Sean O’Malley

Sean O’Malley’s Early Beginnings and First Steps in MMA

Born on October 24, 1994 in Helena, Montana, Sean O’Malley enjoyed the staples of a typical Midwestern childhood: fishing, camping, and boating with his family. It was when he took up playing sports in school that his potential to become a top athlete began to show itself. Despite his smaller stature at the time compared to his peers, O’Malley excelled in baseball, soccer and football, seemingly possessing a desire to outdo everyone. 

While barely out of high school, he started to take an interest in mixed martial arts, taking his first amateur fight in March of that same year. Keeping very active in his first 365 days as a competitor, Sean O’Malley fought six times in 2013, amassing a record of 4-2. It was during this time that “Suga” received a huge opportunity to move to Arizona to train at the acclaimed MMA Lab, being personally invited by Tim Welch after the esteemed coach witnessed one of his contests. 

The move turned out to be a career boon for the Midwesterner, as Sean O’Malley would end his tenure as an amateur a year later on a perfect five-bout win streak, capturing three different championships along the way. He then stepped into the professional ranks in 2015.

Sean O’Malley: Becoming a Professional and Entering the UFC

Wasting little time, Sean O’Malley continued to be highly active as a professional, fighting three more times in the same year after winning his debut. Embarking on a streak of domination on the regional scene, the Arizonan compiled a perfect record of 7-0 before being invited to compete on the second ever episode of the now hit television series Dana White’s Contender Series in 2017. The highlight of this period of unchecked success came when Sean O’Malley pulled off an incredible first round spinning wheel kick finish of the highly-touted David Nuzzo at LFA 11. 

With Team Alpha Male head coach Urijah Faber and Snoop Dog famously watching on commentary, the rising prospect from Montana dazzled fans with another highlight reel knockout, stopping Alfred Khashakyan in the first stanza to earn a coveted UFC contract, as well as the adulation of company CEO Dana White.

Sean O’Malley Takes Leave of Absence From MMA

Now fighting in the biggest mixed martial arts promotion on the planet, O’Malley made his UFC debut at The Ultimate Fighter 26 Finale. There, he took on 23-fight veteran Terrion Ware, defeating the much more experienced competitor by unanimous decision. He would then log one more contest in the organization in another decision victory over Andre Soukhamthath before being unceremoniously banned from competition for two years for failing a drug test, testing positive for ostarine. 

While his forced absence from mixed martial arts didn’t sit well with him at first, Sean O’Malley used his break from fighting to focus more on himself. During his ban, he started to hone in on his dieting and nutrition, leveling up his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and increasing his bodily strength.

Making his big return to the UFC in 2020, Sean O’Malley reminded fans why he was one of the most entertaining bantamweight names on the roster by recording another first round finish, starching José Alberto Quiñónez with a blazing head kick. Following up his epic return by flattening Eddie Wineland three months later, “Suga” encountered Marlon Vera at UFC 252. Despite his physical advantages over the Ecuadorian, Vera was still able to land a stinging leg kick that shockingly numbed a nerve in O’Malley’s leg, causing it to go limp almost immediately. Now practically hobbling, “Chito” pounced on the American, getting into top mount and punishing him with elbows to nab the first round stoppage.

Sean O’Malley: Rebounding From First Defeat and Becoming UFC Champion

Taking a seven month hiatus, Sean O’Malley came back after suffering his first loss as a professional at UFC 260, nabbing an exciting third round knockout over the then 22-4 Thomas Almeida. The true highlight of his return, however, came when he came to blows with late replacement Kris Moutinho at UFC 264 after his original adversary Louis Smolka pulled due to injury. While no one expected Moutinho to make much of an impression coming in on such short notice, the Massachusetts fighter gripped the mixed martial arts community. Receiving 230 strikes, he relentlessly pushed the pace on Sean O’Malley, making him back up for the majority of their scrap before MMA Lab standout scored the TKO victory late in the third.   

After overcoming a significantly hard-headed obstacle in the seemingly unstoppable Moutinho, O’Malley continued his climb towards contendership with a first round knockout over the recent divisional top 15 debutant Raulian Paiva. Although his momentum was slightly halted after logging a no contest against Pedro Munhoz, the Southern striker picked up the biggest win of his career at the time when he just barely managed to scrap by against previous 135-lb apex Petr Yan by split decision.

With his popularity at an all-time high by this point, and after toppling a former champion, O’Malley was selected to contend for the title opposite reigning bantamweight gold standard Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292. Losing the first stanza on all three judges’ scorecards, a measured O’Malley found his mark in the second with a sniper counter punch, sending the three-time defending champion crashing to the floor. He then followed up with precise ground-and-pound to capture the UFC Bantamweight Championship.

Rematch With Old Foe, Losing the Title

Standing now as one of the pound-for-pound best in the promotion, Sean O’Malley was on top of the world in terms of star power. Chosen to headline his second pay-per-view in a row, “Suga” got the chance to avenge the only loss of both his UFC and professional career when he faced Marlon Vera for a second time at UFC 299. Donning the champion’s shorts for the first time, a confident O’Malley was eager to leave doubters wrong that Vera was the better fighter and that his loss to the Ecuadorian was merely a fluke. 

Proving this narrative right, he absolutely dominated Vera on the feet, outlanding him nearly three to one in overall significant strike numbers, including a devastating knee to the face that was so loud it caused thousands of audience members to audibly shout out in excitement. Looking like a disheveled version of himself by the end of the match, Vera was nearly unrecognizable after absorbing over 200 blows, leading to O’Malley to receive the clear unanimous decision to notch his first title defense. 

Having cemented his championship with a thrilling rematch over Vera, O’Malley stepped up for his most challenging opponent to date against Georgian power house Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306. The bout would mark a special moment in the organization’s history, with the event being the first time the UFC put on a show at the world-famous Sphere in Las Vegas for their second UFC Noche card. While O’Malley had long been praised for his ability to out-strike other talented kickboxers, he never had been tested by a competitor who had stellar wrestling abilities. 

Appearing to not have much of an answer for the European’s takedown game, O’Malley struggled immensely to stay on his feet throughout the 25-minute affair, with Dvalishvili racking up over ten minutes of control time. Desperately trying to land his kill shot, the champion tried over and over again to crack the chin of “The Machine,” only for him to retaliate with fast blitzes of punches and unwavering takedown attempts. Although he did look to hurt Dvalishvili in the fifth, O’Malley didn’t have enough time left on the clock to mount any significant offense, and in the end, it was Dvalishvili who got his hand raised by unanimous decision.

Can Sean O’Malley Get the Title Back?

Now receiving the chance to rewrite another blemish on his professional record, O’Malley walks into his runback with Dvalishvili not only on a mission to retake his belt, but also to remain relevant in the bantamweight division. Should he lose to the Georgian, it may be quite some time before he is able to earn another title opportunity, or he may be forced to move up in weight to pursue different opponents. With so much riding on his main event showdown with Dvalishvili this weekend, UFC 316 will surly be make-or-break for former 135-lb king Sean O’Malley.