"I soccer kick him in the f***ing head" - Sean O'Malley rewatches and reacts to his first-ever MMA fight
Sean O'Malley recently watched his first-ever MMA fight alongside his friends Brendan Schmitt and Blake Sono. Before turning pro, O'Malley amassed an amateur record of 5-1. In his first amateur bout at age 18, 'Sugar' defeated Steian Anderson via second-round TKO at FightForce - Helena Havoc 11.
Although not as refined as his current fighting ability, O'Malley dominated Anderson from the get-go. He dropped Anderson twice in round one - once via a spinning back fist and the other via a head kick. 'Sugar' overwhelmed his opponent with leg kicks throughout the fight. Here's what Sean O'Malley said about his debut MMA fight:
"I soccer kicked him in the f*****g head! I came out to Eminem, 'Go to Sleep' - you think I give a f**k about rules?"
Skip to 1:40 for Sean O'Malley's reaction to his first-ever MMA fight:
Sean O'Malley continued to talk about his first-ever MMA bout:
"I didn't [even] have one wrestling practice in my life. I knew, like, an armbar off of my back, that's about it. I remember I came out to 'Go to Sleep' by Eminem. I was very addicted to Call of Duty at this time. I would stay at my buddy's house, who was in town. He would just play Call of Duty until, like, 6 AM, and I would sleep on the couch - [this was] before this fight. And I remember thinking, too, 'Alright, if I win this fight, I'll continue to fight. If I lose this fight, I have to get a full-time job - because, that's what my mom was telling me [to do]."
Almost 10 years after his MMA debut as an amateur, Sean O'Malley sits in the No.1-contender spot on the UFC bantamweight roster. 'Sugar' will most likely fight the winner of Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo, which is scheduled for UFC 288 in May.
Sean O'Malley is on the cusp of realizing UFC gold
'Sugar' Sean O'Malley is one fight away from realizing UFC gold. The No.1 bantamweight contender last fought Petr Yan in a grueling three-round fight at UFC 280 last October. O'Malley won the bout by landing more significant strikes on 'No Mercy,' even dropping the Russian fighter on more than one occasion.
At the end of the fight, the judges declared 'Sugar' the victor via a split decision, even though many fans and pundits thought Petr Yan should have won. With a win over 'No Mercy,' O'Malley climbed atop the rankings to the No.1 ranking in the bantamweight division.
You don’t need to agree with the decision, but how can you not respect Sean O’Malley?
He showed grit, he showed he’s well rounded, and he’s the only fighter in history that had Petr Yan in serious danger. https://t.co/cU35bjGvYL
If not for Henry Cejudo's return, O'Malley would have been booked for a fight with champion Aljamain Sterling. UFC 288 is around the corner, and a new champion may be declared. O'Malley is reported to have refused to be the backup fighter at UFC 288, saying that he doesn't want to make weight for a fight that isn't guaranteed.
If all goes according to play, O'Malley finds himself on the cusp of a title shot, either against Aljamain Sterling or Henry Cejudo.
UFC is finalizing a bantamweight title fight between Aljamain Sterling and Henry Cejudo, both fighters announced on social media.
Contracts have not been signed, but the title fight is being targeted for May 6. https://t.co/33RgMaplyb