UFC bantamweight star Sean O’Malley only has two fights left on his current deal, and he is willing to divert from his recent strategy and face whoever the promotion wants in his upcoming fight.
Last year, O’Malley (15-1) made headlines when he made it clear that until he was given a significant pay raise, he saw no reason in risking his fast-growing value against the elites of the division when he is being paid like a fighter outside the top-15.
If I’m going to make the money I’m making right now, why go up there and fight the toughest guys in the world? Why not fight these three fights not fighting the toughest guys in the world, renegotiate my contract and then make real money fighting real guys, he said in September.
The strategy was divisive. Some felt that after a 6-1 run in the Octagon it was time to face stiffer competition. Others understood his position and thought it was a smart play by a self-aware 26-year-old that understood the serious value he has with the top promotion in the sport. Well, “Sugar” has changed that position.
Sean O’Malley switches from previous strategy and will face whoever UFC wants in next fights
In a Wednesday interview on “>Food Truck Diaries, the twelfth-ranked 135-pounder explained that he regretted that previous stance, and he is willing to fight whoever the promotion puts in front of him. Just like he did in Dec. at UFC 269 when he beat Raulian Paiva by first-round technical knockout.
“I take that back. I said that probably three or four fights ago,” O’Malley said about his previous comments. “Now, it’s like, I have two more fights on my contract. I’m gonna fight who they offer me. They offer me, Raulian Paiva, I fought him. I have this narrative that I’m picking fights too. They offered me, Paiva. I didn’t go to the UFC and say, ‘hey can I fight Paiva? They offered me, Paiva, I said yes.”
‘Sugar’ says Raulian Paiva fight was biggest mental test of his career
Although “Sugar” made relatively easy work of the Brazilian to earn his third first-round finish in the Octagon, he revealed that the fight was the biggest mental test of his career so far. As some bruised ribs severely hampered his training in the final weeks before the fight. And even up until fight night, he had concerns on his ability to grapple in the fight.
“Going into that fight I had bruised ribs. That was the most mental negativity I’ve dealt with going into a fight. I did very well, and I was confident going into it but I hadn’t grappled in three weeks. I didn’t spar in those last three weeks. I hit mitts and I ran. That’s all I did,” said O’Malley.
“In the back [before the fight] we were hitting mitts, I didn’t know if I could grapple. I knew he was gonna try and take me down. Every time I get into a fight I’m like, ‘that’s gonna be their goal, take me down. They’re not gonna strike with me.’ So going into that fight I was like, ‘f*ck, this is gonna be a big test mentally for me.”
Who do you hope to see O’Malley face in his next Octagon appearance?
