Sean O’Malley next fight: 3 opponent options for ‘Suga’s’ return, including Cory Sandhagen
By Jason Burgos,
2024-09-17
Craig Kidwell-USA TODAY Sports
The Sean O’Malley next fight news should arrive before the end of the year. Until then, we look at three likely opponents for the former bantamweight king and recap his frustrating title fight loss in September.
After avenging the lone loss of his career at UFC 299 , “Suga” was handed his second career defeat at UFC 306 by Merab Dvalishvili. With the setback being so definitive, an immediate rematch is unlikely. That is why fights with Cory Sandhagen, Petr Yan, or Henry Cejudo are the probable route the UFC takes O’Malley in for his next fight.
Sandman: Fans have wanted to see an O’Malley vs. Sandhagen fight for some time. It can easily be a Fight Night main event and has fight-of-the-year potential.
Rematch: Yan and O’Malley had a fantastic and close fight that “Suga” won two years ago. A rematch is certainly not a bad idea and could co-headline any PPV card.
Triple C: Cejudo and O’Malley have been rivals for years and now may be the perfect time to make use of that hatred. A win for “Suga” could catapult him right back into a title fight.
Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili recap
Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Many feared that O’Malley would have serious trouble against a non-stop wrestling “Machine” like Dvalishvili. Those concerns were realized at UFC 306 as O’Malley had no good answers for the Georgian’s wrestling and superhuman cardio.
What Happened: O’Malley was able to get back to his feet often again Dvalishvili, but so have a lot of his opponents. It’s Dvalishvili’s constant movement and takedown attempts that win him fights and it worked again against the American. But even when the former champion had moments standing he did not make the most of it and it wasn’t until the last few minutes of the fight that he actually did serious damage to his foe.
The Fallout: Since the loss was so definitive, O’Malley is not expected to get the same treatment as other UFC champions and land a rematch before the end of the year.
What’s Next? O’Malley will likely get a top-five opponent in his return and victory could easily set up a title opportunity next summer.
What makes Sean O’Malley so popular?
Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
The Sugar Show: O’Malley has become an immediate star in the UFC by being a cocky fighter with the ability to back up his brash boasts nearly every time. He has a fan-friendly fight style and usually gives them what they want. Seeing fighters get physically embarrassed and put to sleep by a destructive striker is a big part of his draw.
Sean O’Malley record: 18-2-1 NC (12 knockouts, 1 submission)
Sean O’Malley last fight: Unanimous decision loss to Merab Dvalishvili
Sean O’Malley wife: The UFC star is in an open marriage with Danya Gonzalez
O’Malley has 18 career victories, with 10 coming in the fabled Octagon. He has a 77% finish rate, with 11 KOs and one submission win as he enters his ninth year as a pro fighter.
“Sugar” has sent nine of his opponents home in the first round, including Raulian Paiva, Alfred Khashakyan, and UFC and WEC stalwart Eddie Wineland.
His lone loss in the promotion came to Marlon “Chito” Vera at UFC 252 in August 2020. Although the win is listed as a technical knockout loss, O’Malley suffered a freak injury from a Vera kick that made it a little different than typical TKO defeats.
The Influencer: With his rainbow-colored hairdo and tattoos adorning his body and face, O’Malley is a fighter perfect for the 18 to 32-year-old demographic of UFC fans today. And it shows in his reach on social media platforms.
Despite only being in the organization for a few years, O’Malley already has millions of followers across his Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts.
“Sugar Sean” also has over 900,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel.
Sean O’Malley’s net worth
The measure of a fighter’s success is in dollars and cents stacked up from a career in professional fisticuffs. It is still early days for O’Malley, but his net worth as of 2024 is estimated to be as much as $2.2 million .
How tall is Sean O Malley really?
Craig Kidwell-Imagn Images
The reigning bantamweight king is actually abnormally tall for the division and is a whopping 5-foot-11. The same height as many welterweights in the UFC.
What style of fighter is Sean O’Malley?
“Sugar” is very much a striking-first fighter. While he can grapple and has shown rock-solid takedown defense he is an elite-level sniper. His hands and feet have a counter-striking style similar to legends like Anderson Silva and Israel Adesanya.
Does Sean O’Malley do jiu-jitsu?
Yes, like every other MMA fighter Sean O’Malley works on all elements of his grappling, including his Brazilian jiu-jitsu. The word is he has a solid mat game that is very underrated since has to use it so rarely.
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