Sean O'Malley
Sugar
USA
Announced for White House card
O'Malley will take on Aimann Zahabi in a bantamweight matchup at the UFC White House card scheduled for June 14.
ANALYSIS
After back-to-back title fight losses to Merab Dvalishvili, O'Malley got back on track with a decision win over Song Yadong on the UFC's first Paramount card in January. While he wasn't necessarily dominant there, he remains one of the most recognizable names in the company, so it was a no-brainer to feature him on the UFC's marquee event of 2026. He now draws an opponent in Zahabi who is riding a seven-fight winning streak, though the caliber of opponent has been questionable, and he saw his momentum halted by a forearm injury last October. Zahabi also isn't much of a finisher, with only two in 10 UFC fights and four-straight bouts going to the judges. Assuming this fight stays standing, which is likely due to Zahabi's lack of wrestling pedigree, O'Malley should have a big striking advantage. Effectively, it's no surprise to see him open as a betting favorite in the ballpark of (-350).
After back-to-back title fight losses to Merab Dvalishvili, O'Malley got back on track with a decision win over Song Yadong on the UFC's first Paramount card in January. While he wasn't necessarily dominant there, he remains one of the most recognizable names in the company, so it was a no-brainer to feature him on the UFC's marquee event of 2026. He now draws an opponent in Zahabi who is riding a seven-fight winning streak, though the caliber of opponent has been questionable, and he saw his momentum halted by a forearm injury last October. Zahabi also isn't much of a finisher, with only two in 10 UFC fights and four-straight bouts going to the judges. Assuming this fight stays standing, which is likely due to Zahabi's lack of wrestling pedigree, O'Malley should have a big striking advantage. Effectively, it's no surprise to see him open as a betting favorite in the ballpark of (-350).
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Rebounds with decision victory
O'Malley defeated Yadong Song via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) at UFC 324 on Saturday in Las Vegas.
ANALYSIS
Fresh off another lopsided loss in a title fight against then-champion Merab Dvalishvili last June, O'Malley found himself in a competitive fight here that could have gone either way. Sean didn't do much for the first two rounds, struggling to close the distance between he and Song and allowing three takedowns on seven attempts. He floored the gas pedal in Round 3, winning the frame easily and looking darn good doing it, and luckily for him, all three judges gave him a tightly-contested Round 1. The fact Merab is no longer champion is certainly good news for O'Malley in terms of earning another title shot, but it's hard to argue he's more deserving of another opportunity than the likes of Dvalishvili or fellow top challenger Umar Nurmagomedov.
Fresh off another lopsided loss in a title fight against then-champion Merab Dvalishvili last June, O'Malley found himself in a competitive fight here that could have gone either way. Sean didn't do much for the first two rounds, struggling to close the distance between he and Song and allowing three takedowns on seven attempts. He floored the gas pedal in Round 3, winning the frame easily and looking darn good doing it, and luckily for him, all three judges gave him a tightly-contested Round 1. The fact Merab is no longer champion is certainly good news for O'Malley in terms of earning another title shot, but it's hard to argue he's more deserving of another opportunity than the likes of Dvalishvili or fellow top challenger Umar Nurmagomedov.
Yadong up next
O'Malley will fight Yadong Song at UFC 324 on Jan. 24, Marcel Dorff of Eurosport.nl reports.
ANALYSIS
O'Malley will certainly be eager to turn things around in January after suffering back-to-back losses at the hands of Merab Dvalishvili -- most recently in June. He'll aim to do so while holding a five-inch reach advantage over Song, who has won three of his last four fights.
O'Malley will certainly be eager to turn things around in January after suffering back-to-back losses at the hands of Merab Dvalishvili -- most recently in June. He'll aim to do so while holding a five-inch reach advantage over Song, who has won three of his last four fights.
Unable to regain 135-pound gold
O'Malley came up short in his quest to regain the UFC Bantamweight Championship on Saturday, falling to Merab Dvalishvili via submission (guillotine choke) at 4:42 of Round 3 at UFC 316 in Newark, New Jersey.
ANALYSIS
Fully recovered from hip surgery which hampered him in the first fight against Dvalishvili last September, O'Malley fought better. And still lost. More convincingly than the first time. Sean spent too much time on his back in Round 1, but was by no means dominated. He stuffed all four of Merab's takedown attempts in Round 2 and even won the round on one scorecard, but it all came crashing down in Round 3. He worked his way back to his feet twice before being dragged down to the mat again after each occasion. His will appeared to break in the process, and Dvalishvili was able to get the submission win late in the frame. Sean still may be the second-best bantamweight in the world, but the guy at the top of the food chain is a nightmare matchup for him. It's reminiscent of the Jon Jones v. Daniel Cormier situation back in the day. It doesn't mean O'Malley is anything other than elite. It just means Merab is better.
Fully recovered from hip surgery which hampered him in the first fight against Dvalishvili last September, O'Malley fought better. And still lost. More convincingly than the first time. Sean spent too much time on his back in Round 1, but was by no means dominated. He stuffed all four of Merab's takedown attempts in Round 2 and even won the round on one scorecard, but it all came crashing down in Round 3. He worked his way back to his feet twice before being dragged down to the mat again after each occasion. His will appeared to break in the process, and Dvalishvili was able to get the submission win late in the frame. Sean still may be the second-best bantamweight in the world, but the guy at the top of the food chain is a nightmare matchup for him. It's reminiscent of the Jon Jones v. Daniel Cormier situation back in the day. It doesn't mean O'Malley is anything other than elite. It just means Merab is better.
Ready to take on Dvalishvili
O'Malley (hip) will face Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 316 in New Jersey on June 7 to challenge for the bantamweight title.
ANALYSIS
O'Malley underwent hip surgery back in September 2024 after the loss to Dvalishvili. However, now that he's recovered, he'll make another run to regain the title he previously lost in what'll be Dvalishvili's second title defense. O'Malley won't have an easy task in this fight, though, as Dvalishvili is one of the most in-form fighters in the world and is on a 12-fight winning streak. Plus, it's unclear how sharp O'Malley will be after the surgery, as he needs to be at the top of his game both physically and mentally even to have a shot at defeating Dvalishvili.
O'Malley underwent hip surgery back in September 2024 after the loss to Dvalishvili. However, now that he's recovered, he'll make another run to regain the title he previously lost in what'll be Dvalishvili's second title defense. O'Malley won't have an easy task in this fight, though, as Dvalishvili is one of the most in-form fighters in the world and is on a 12-fight winning streak. Plus, it's unclear how sharp O'Malley will be after the surgery, as he needs to be at the top of his game both physically and mentally even to have a shot at defeating Dvalishvili.
Will undergo hip surgery
O'Malley will undergo hip surgery, Brett Okamoto of ESPN.com reports.
ANALYSIS
O'Malley tore his left labrum 10 weeks before fighting Merab Dvalishvili on Saturday. During his latest podcast with head coach Tim Welch, the former bantamweight champion admitted he could need a year off to fight again. At minimum, O'Malley will be out for at least six months, pushing his return date to 2025. He will finish 2024 going from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. O'Malley began this year redeeming himself from his first-ever loss by easily defeating Marlon Vera.
O'Malley tore his left labrum 10 weeks before fighting Merab Dvalishvili on Saturday. During his latest podcast with head coach Tim Welch, the former bantamweight champion admitted he could need a year off to fight again. At minimum, O'Malley will be out for at least six months, pushing his return date to 2025. He will finish 2024 going from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. O'Malley began this year redeeming himself from his first-ever loss by easily defeating Marlon Vera.