Having lengthy been touted as a future star on combined martial arts’ largest stage, UFC bantamweight contender Sean O’Malley is inside touching distance of realizing his championship dream.
O’Malley, who broke onto the scene with a contract-winning knockout on Dana White’s Contender Sequence again in 2017, rose in the direction of the highest of the 135-pound ladder last October at UFC 280.
In a featured contest on the Abu Dhabi-held pay-per-view card, O’Malley recorded his first victory over a ranked opponent, narrowly outpointing former champion Petr Yan to earn a shot at gold.
Now, after a considerably prolonged anticipate the fast divisional plans to unravel, “Sugar” is ready for his first alternative at reaching championship standing.
He’ll challenge the reign of Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292 on August 19, lower than 4 months on from the titleholder’s most up-to-date profitable protection in opposition to Henry Cejudo at UFC 288.
Forward of the pivotal second in his profession, which will even see him enter the primary occasion highlight for the primary time, O’Malley’s early days within the sport have been dropped at the floor.
Welch: Coaching Beatings Left O’Malley Crying
Throughout a latest look on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, O’Malley’s coach Tim Welch recalled his first impressions of the 28-year-old Montana native.
Whereas he famous the fast promise that “Sugar” confirmed, Welch recalled the beatings that he took throughout his first expertise at the MMA Lab facility in Phoenix, Arizona.
“I keep in mind seeing Sean when he was 16 years outdated, a little bit skinny child with an afro,” Welch mentioned. ” I am like, ‘He is fairly gifted in there, fairly athletic.’ I got here again (to Montana) two years later to commentate some extra fights and he was preventing a school wrestler… figured this faculty wrestler’s in all probability gonna beat him up, then Sean armbar’ed the child. So after, on the afterparty, I went as much as Sean and mentioned, ‘Hey, do you wanna come down and prepare at an actual fitness center with some actual professionals?’ He was all about it.
“When he was 18, he got here down, bought beat up. I figured I would not see him, (however) he went dwelling, saved up $2,000, packed his automotive, moved down, and we have been good buddies ever since,” Welch continued. “Once I picked him up from the airport, he’d by no means skilled with a superb professional… He was like, ‘Man, we’re gonna go to the highest!’ … I used to be like, ‘You haven’t any clue, child.’ Day-after-day we went into the lab, he was simply getting smoked… He would typically be crying and look so defeated after practices. I figured we in all probability (would not) see him once more.”
Having returned regardless of a tough begin, Welch counseled O’Malley’s immense work ethic, citing it as one of many UFC bantamweight star’s benefits over different athletes.
Welch went on to focus on the purpose at which he knew O’Malley was destined for important success as an MMA fighter.
“I knew he was an amazing athlete. And I knew it is uncommon when the lights go on and so they’re within the cage, they present up each time, and I noticed that early on,” Welch said. “However he did not wrestle in highschool and did not have that grappling background. So I am like, that is so exhausting to compensate for lately.
“However he was so disciplined, going to the fitness center twice a day, taking his ass-whoopings… and he is simply been sticking with it,” Welch added. “So, in all probability after about his third skilled combat, I actually knew this child’s in all probability going to be one thing particular as a result of he is so athletic, he is so gifted, his eyes are so good, his velocity’s so good, his response time’s so good, after which it is backed by a very good, dedicated work ethic.”
Having created a robust partnership, and one which has introduced O’Malley all the way in which to the cusp of a UFC championship, Welch will look to help guide his man to a mammoth victory come fight night in Boston this summer.
Picture: @timwelchmt/Instagram
- Learn Additionally: Sean O’Malley Dismisses Aljamain Sterling’s Reservations About Quick Turnaround: ‘It Ain’t F*cking Science’
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