“Sugar” Sean O’Malley has proven to be one of the most polarizing athletes in the UFC. At just 25 years old, the kid has taken the sport by storm.
A lot of people know him for his extravagant style as you can see above. The rainbow hair, colorful tattoos and wild apparel make him easy to recognize. But what everyone really knows him for is his absolute thuggish ability in the octagon.
Above you’ll find some of the highlights through his rise in the UFC. O’Malley has fought in over 50 total fights but has an official UFC record of 12-0. He battled with some substance issues that slapped him with a long term suspension, thus stalling his meteoric rise. But at UFC 252, he will be facing off against veteran Marlon Vera. If he lands a victory in that fight, I feel that should be enough to get him a fight against a Jose Aldo, or a Cody Garbrandt. A win against either one of them with back to back W’s should push him through to challenge the current bantam weight champion, Peter Yan. O’Malley is unfortunately all the way down as the 14th seed in the division but he has clearly earned his spot.
His unique fighting style and pure grit and moxie make him someone that the UFC needs to stand behind. The attention he’s brought the sport is insurmountable and is at the level of that of a Jon Jones and Conor McGregor as far as fan bases go.
For instance, check out this reaction from Snoop Dogg after watching a Sean O’Malley knockout. The guy is a freak of nature and has such a talent and aggressive passion for the sport that I don’t see anything standing in his way.
He’s earned everything thus far. If he keeps his nose and his loss column clean, this guy could be the future of the UFC. Let’s just hope Dana White and the rest of the organization back him enough to get him there.
thoughtsfromthebench.com 