Former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley feared he would go on a lengthy losing streak with another defeat at UFC 324.
Former UFC titleholder Sean O’Malley snapped the first losing skid of his Mixed Martial Arts career last Saturday at UFC 324. In the co-main event against surging contender Song Yadong, O’Malley put on a signature performance and defeated the streaking bantamweight Yadong by unanimous decision.
It was a return to normalcy for O’Malley, who entered UFC 324 off back-to-back losses to Merab Dvalishvili. After Dvalishvili’s recent loss to Petr Yan, O’Malley is back in the bantamweight title mix.
O’Malley has been largely dominant in his UFC career, except for defeats to Dvalishvili and Marlon Vera. Entering UFC 324, O’Malley wondered if he would ever win an MMA fight again and whether or not he should consider a move to the ring.
Sean O’Malley felt more relief after UFC 324 win than any other fight in career
In a recent video uploaded to his YouTube channel, O’Malley was brutally honest in explaining his pre-fight anxiety before UFC 324.
“The relief after the fight, this was the most relief I’ve felt after a fight. Coming off of two losses, I never thought I’d ever be that guy. I might be the new Tony Ferguson,” O’Malley said.
“I might be the next f—- T-Ferg and lose five MMA fights, but have a great Boxing career. And then Zuffa Boxing I’m like ‘F—, if I lose, I’ll fight for like $10.00 and I’ll box’”
Luckily for Tony Ferguson, he bounced back from his lengthy UFC losing streak and departure with two wins under the Misfits Boxing banner. He most recently defeated Warren Spencer in December to win the vacant middleweight MMA title.
As for what’s next for O’Malley, the UFC will likely try to book a No. 1 contender fight with Umar Nurmagomedov for his next Octagon appearance. Nurmagomedov also earned a win at UFC 324, defeating Deiveson Figueiredo by decision.
Who should Sean O’Malley fight next after UFC 324? Let us know in the comments!