How Sean O’Malley Showed Why He’s A UFC Contender

Sean O’Malley’s fight with UFC newcomer Kris Moutinho was brutal. Sure, there’s a heartfelt story to be made out of Moutinho’s durability and heart, but it shouldn’t take anything away from the dazzling performance that Sean O’Malley put on at UFC 264. 

“Suga” Sean O’Malley landed 230 significant strikes across three rounds, and fans felt every one of them. As someone watching the fight, seeing him flurry Moutinho with a series of attacks that paralleled something you’d see in an edited YouTube highlights video was awe-inspiring. His arsenal includes kicks, punches, showboating, lightning hand speed, and creativity that’s virtually unparalleled in the sport. 

One of his stronger points during the fight was his ability to control the tempo despite being on the Octagon’s outside. As tough as he was,  Moutinho took a beating every time he tried to close the distance between them. 

At many points in the fight, he seemed bored. His overall striking accuracy eventually crossed over 70%, making his opponent look like a sparring dummy who wasn’t allowed to hit back. 

For everything that Moutinho tried, Sean O’Malley had a bigger, better answer. The counter right, the jab, even the occasional head kick or uppercut all found prowess as offensive tools within his gameplan. 

Even better than his offense was the defensive game. During the fight, it felt like any incoming strikes landed on air or the fence. And statistically, they did. Sean O’Malley evaded around 68% of the attack and the ones that landed barely clipped him. 

Critics have said that Sean O’Malley’s inability to knock his opponent out indicates a weakness in his power. Still, that claim doesn’t consider both the lack of power punches that he was throwing (excluding the end, which resulted in a TKO) and his prior UFC knockouts. To argue that Sean O’Malley has no knockout power doesn’t make much sense. 

By the end of his fight at UFC 264, Sean O’Malley proved two things:

1st, he showed that he’s in a league of his own. Being able to effectively control another pro-MMA fighter like that without breaking a sweat indicates that he deserves to compete with the world’s best.

2nd, he proved that his accuracy is among the UFC’s best. Landing 230 significant strikes is an undeniably incredible feat that breaks records in the Bantamweight division.