5 reasons why Sean O'Malley could be the next bantamweight champion
Sean O'Malley is one of the UFC's current rising stars. He is a trash-talking, self-proclaimed future bantamweight champion. Due to his flashy style, brash personality, and open admission to fighting lower-ranked opponents for high pay, many sought to dismiss O'Malley's potential as a future bantamweight champion. His loss to Marlon 'Chito' Vera was especially damaging, convincing O'Malley's harshest critics that he wouldn't succeed as a top contender in one of the UFC's deepest divisions. Further attention was given to his apparent susceptibility to leg-related injuries.
Questions surrounding his durability have become commonplace, but the MMA Lab's resident star shouldn't be written off just as yet. Not only is his striking arsenal as deep as any fighter in the sport, but he also possesses vicious knockout power in a weight class not known to produce many hard-hitting strikers. The potential for a future championship win is there for Sean O'Malley, and this list examines the five main reasons why he might not only succeed in becoming a top bantamweight contender, but eventually capture the title.
#5. Sean O'Malley is the tallest bantamweight in the division
Historically, the tallest and largest fighters in a specific division have become its top contenders and champions. Not only is Sean O'Malley the tallest bantamweight in his division, but he also possesses a reach of 72 inches, which is identical to former interim welterweight champion Colby Covington. With some exceptions, the size of a fighter is a prominent factor in how well they will do in their respective weight classes. At heavyweight, the champion is Francis Ngannou, one of the larger fighters in the division.
"He feints a lot, he uses his range well, he's tall, he's long, I'm tall, I'm long, I use feints, we have a lot of similarities."
@DominickCruz isn't calling Sean O'Malley out, but sees why it's "a match-up people are talking about." (via @arielhelwani) https://t.co/9jBLO94WqM
At light heavyweight, the current champion is Jiri Procházka, who is also one of the largest fighters in his weight class. It is a common theme across all of the UFC's divisions, with Israel Adesanya, Kamaru Usman, and Charles Oliveira all being on the taller side of their divisions. Thus, with O'Malley being taller and longer than everyone else at bantamweight, his chances of being a champion are more than respectable.