Sean O’Malley’s last submission win didn’t take place in the UFC Octagon.
In two weeks from now, the former UFC champion is set to rematch Merab Dvalishvili for the bantamweight title in the main event of UFC 316.
Dvalishvili outwrestled O’Malley at UFC 306 last September to win by unanimous decision, handing ‘Suga’ the second loss of his pro career.
In preparation for UFC 316, O’Malley has been working on his grappling with UFC Flyweight ‘GOAT’ Demetrious Johnson, saying ‘Mighty Mouse’ is a ‘black belt in the clinch’.
A striker at heart, O’Malley hasn’t won by tap-out in nearly six years.
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Sean O’Malley submitted Takanori Gomi in 2019 grappling match
2019 was the only year O’Malley was absent from UFC competition.
A 10-0 prospect at the time, O’Malley tested positive for the performance-enhancing ostarine a second time in June 2016, cancelling a fight with Chito Vera. O’Malley was suspended by USADA for six months and stayed busy by competing at a Quintet Ultra grappling event in Dec. 2019.
O’Malley grappled against former Strikeforce stars Gilbert Melendez and Hector Lombard along with Pride FC legend Takanori Gomi AKA ‘The Fireball Kid’.
Less than three minutes into their grappling match, Gomi shot for a takedown which O’Malley used to grab ahold of his neck for a guillotine submission. Gomi tapped out within seconds of the squeeze.
O’Malley was a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu when he submitted Gomi, a knockout artist with a wrestling base. Gomi fought the who’s-who in MMA from BJ Penn to Nick Diaz to his younger brother Nate Diaz in the UFC.
Gomi went a stellar 13-1 (1 NC) in Pride FC.
Sean O’Malley has been training his striking with Israel Adesanya
Demetrious Johnson isn’t the only UFC legend O’Malley has been training with ahead of UFC 316.
Working on his stand-up, O’Malley trained with one of the best strikers in the UFC today, former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.
The two former champions sparred at O’Malley’s gym, getting different looks in.
“He didn’t seem like he was coming off three losses,” O’Malley said of training with Adesanya on Red Hawk Recap.
“Usually I’m the tall, lanky guy moving around with people.
“So, for him to be that huge… I was like damn, that’s wild,” O’Malley added.