Sean O’Malley has become one of the UFC’s biggest stars during his six-year tenure with the promotion, but even he had early career doubts.
This coming weekend, Sean O’Malley will get his chance at revenge as he takes on Marlon Vera at UFC 299, with Vera being the only loss on ‘Suga’s’ record. The two first met in the Octagon in 2020, where Vera picked up the first-round finish.
O’Malley on the doubts he had at the beginning of his MMA career
Despite the position O’Malley finds himself in now, the 29-year-old admitted that he had to get through some doubts early in his career. Speaking to ESPN, he opened up about feeling like he was wasting people’s time early on, as he didn’t know how to train properly.
“You go to the gym, I was at the (MMA) Lab known for wrestling, known for grinding and I came in as a kick-boxer that didn’t know a single leg. We’d do two on two’s wrestling days, no one wanted to partner with me because I didn’t know how to do a single leg entry, I didn’t know how to do two on two’s, I didn’t know how to do anything.
“I was 19 years old coming down training with guys in the UFC wasting their time because I didn’t learn how to wrestle, no one taught me how to do a single leg, no one taught me how to do a double leg. So there was doubt in my mind in a sense where I’m like damn maybe I started too late, maybe this isn’t for me.”
Although the MMA Lab product had doubts early in his career, his fast rise to fame and stardom overcame that.
Since his loss to Vera four years ago, O’Malley has gone on to win five fights, defeating the consensus greatest bantamweight of all time, Aljamain Sterling, in the process.
Vera on the other hand has picked up two losses since 2020 and has earned a title shot off the back of a win against the current number 12 ranked bantamweight, Pedro Munhoz.
O’Malley is keeping an eye on possible future contenders
Umar Nurmagomedov is a name that consistently pops up in 135lb title talks, and this past weekend he secured another win that helps in his title claims. O’Malley relishes the idea of a meeting with Nurmagomedov in the future as he believes he has the potential to also become a star.
“People think I’m avoiding tough fights, Umar’s probably the toughest fight and yet I’ve been bringing his name up, but it has to make sense. Umar isn’t a star at all. I believe Umar is a potential superstar literally because he has the last name Nurmagomedov.
“I feel like just with the name and the skill of the UFC being able to promote certain people and he comes from that gym with Khabib, it’s there there’s something there. If he can become a star that’s a fight I want too.”
First though O’Malley must successfully defend his title for the first time this weekend at UFC 299, at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.