"They are gonna be surprised" - Sean O'Malley's coach insists the bantamweight's skills on the mat are unseen and dangerous
Sean O'Malley is one of the most talked-about UFC fighters on the roster. 'Sugar' holds a UFC record of 7-1 and is currently on a three-fight win streak, with all three wins coming via knockouts.
Due to his creative standup game, the 27-year-old tends to get the reputation of a pure striker with sketchy ground skills. However, his jiu-jitsu coach Augusto Mendes believes his ground skills are underrated.
Mendes is a former UFC fighter with several high-level jiu-jitsu awards, including championship wins in IBJJF, ADCC, and UAEJJ. He is now the jiu-jitsu coach for O'Malley, who will be fighting Pedro Munhoz at UFC 276 on July 2.
During an episode of the UFC 276 Embedded Vlog Series, Mendes had this to say about O'Malley's jiu-jitsu:
"People [don't] have [any] idea how strong his jiu-jitsu [is]. They never had the opportunity to see how strong he can do on the ground, but they are gonna be surprised if the fight goes there."
This is not the first sign that O'Malley's jiu-jitsu is underrated. Hardcore MMA fans may remember 'Sugar' competing on the Quintet Ultra, where he submitted Takanori Gomi before losing to Hector Lombard and going to a draw against Gilbert Melendez.
Sean O’Malley subbing Takanori Gomi with Anthony Smith going mad in his corner https://t.co/xxt2exXndn
At UFC 276, the No.13-ranked bantamweight has another opportunity to display his well-rounded skills.
Watch Sean O'Malley's jiu-jitsu coach discuss the matchup against Pedro Munhoz below:
Sean O'Malley's jiu-jitsu coach believes 'Sugar' will put Pedro Munhoz's lights out
O'Malley will be making his first appearance of 2022 at UFC 276 after going 3-0 in 2021. With a win over Munhoz, who is currently ranked No.10, 'Sugar' will jump further up the rankings and closer to the group of elite contenders.
With that said, beating the Brazilian veteran will be easier said than done. During the same Embedded episode, Mendes expressed his confidence in O'Malley securing the win:
"He's gonna be a different animal in there. He's gonna put lights out for Pedro for sure."
Munhoz has lost four of his last five fights but has never been finished in his 26-fight MMA career. Meanwhile, O'Malley has five knockouts in his last six fights, the outlier being a loss to Marlon Vera.
If 'Sugar' can get a KO at UFC 276, he will be one step closer to fighting for the bantamweight championship.