When Sean O'Malley tapped out to a fighter with Down Syndrome in friendly BJJ match: "That’s where pure happiness is"
Sean O'Malley is among the most popular MMA fighters today and once took part in a friendly jiu-jitsu match against a fighter with Down Syndrome. While O'Malley can undeniably hold his own in a grappling contest, he was no match for his young opponent, who choked out the Montana native and left onlookers smiling with joy.
In 2019, the reigning UFC bantamweight champion faced off against Isaac 'Ghostbuster Boy' Godoy at the Arizona Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu state championships in Phoenix. After the bout began, the two competitors felt each other out before Godoy went for a takedown and floored O'Malley.
'Ghostbuster Boy' soon caught the UFC star in a rear-naked choke and forced him to tap while the crowd watching erupted in loud cheers and hoots. O'Malley later addressed the fight and explained how it materialized. He said:
"One of our buddies, Allan [Di Lucia], is his coach and owns the [Unlimited BJJ] gym, and he has free classes for special needs kids. So he messaged me on Instagram and asked me if I wanted to compete against him, and I was jacked. He said it would make his day, and I told him it would make mine, so doing stuff like that is just priceless. That’s where pure happiness is." [H/t: Montana Sports]
Watch the full video below:
Sean O'Malley predicts statement knockout over Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306
Sean O'Malley recently shared a preview of his upcoming bantamweight title fight against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306 this weekend at The Sphere in Las Vegas. 'Sugar' vowed to put on a show for his fans and addressed Dvalishvili's close friend, Aljamain Sterling, cornering the Georgian for the fight.
In an interview with ESPN's First Take, O'Malley shared his prediction for his upcoming title fight and promised to leave viewers speechless with his performance. He said:
"I think it's going to be Sunday morning. It's going to be that beautiful that you're not going to be able to not talk about it... I'm getting these Boston vibes when I went out there and knocked out Aljamain Sterling... I'm getting a lot of Boston - it's Aljamain's best friend, Merab. Aljo's going to be in the corner. I'm going to enjoy watching Aljo's reaction after I sleep Merab as well. So, I think it's going to be 'the Suga show does it again.' We have to stop doubting this kid. I'm an underdog again, which I enjoy."
Catch Sean O'Malley's comments below (3:41):