Sean O’Malley was supposed to be the next Conor McGregor. The UFC saw his potential and pushed him to the title fight where he almost recreated the Irishman’s KO of Jose Aldo. But tragedy struck in the shape of 5’6″ Georgian star Merab Dvalishvili. O’Malley is now under intense pressure before his rematch with Dvalishvili for the bantamweight title. With his crown gone and the division becoming more stacked by the day, it’s unclear what will happen if ‘Suga’ falls short again. While fans debate his future, Chael Sonnen has stepped in with a career-saving suggestion. A move that might lead to new rivalries, matchups, and possibly even redemption. So, what did ‘The American Gangster’ say?
Well, Chael Sonnen did not hold back on his YouTube channel. The former UFC fighter and analyst feels O’Malley needs to make a significant change—and quickly. “I want him at 145 lbs—that’s what I want,” Sonnen said, supporting a move to the featherweight division. “He’s got the frame for it, he’s got the build for it, he’s got the attitude, he’s even got the desire.” And, with Ilia Topuria out of the picture after renouncing the title, Sonnen believes the road to the crown at 145 has become much more possible. This can be a good move, especially because Alexander Volkanovski is reaching the fag end of his career and Aljamain Sterling is holding up his fight game at 145 lbs, according to ‘The American Gangster.’
He said, “The next best thing—Volkanovski. If he doesn’t have some luck here, he’s going to be retired in two weeks. That’s a reality. And third, look how well Aljo’s done. Don’t go look at Aljo’s record and try to tell me something. Go watch those fights. Go watch how well Aldo did at everything.” It is worth noting that Sean O’Malley had already dabbled with the idea last year, so it’s not a completely new concept. Before their first fight, he openly discussed knocking out ‘The Machine’ and moving on to face the winner of Ilia Topuria versus Max Holloway.
That super fight never transpired, but now that Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes are vying for the featherweight title at UFC 314, there is a new window of possibility. All signals point to a wide-open field, and Sean O’Malley‘s name would add substantial noise to the mix. From Jose Aldo to Aljamain Sterling, the blueprint has worked for others. If O’Malley’s bantamweight chapter ends badly, the next page could be at 145. And Chael Sonnen is confident that the story might be even better. However, it isn’t just the future that seems good for ‘Suga,’ as Sonnen also made a major claim about Sean O’Malley’s upcoming fight against Merab Dvalishvili.
Chael Sonnen believes the Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili rematch will be different
While Chael Sonnen believes Sean O’Malley will eventually move up to featherweight, he isn’t ready to give up on the former bantamweight champion just yet. In fact, he believes that the upcoming rematch at UFC 316 might be the one that changes the narrative. ‘Suga’ may have been steamrolled in their first meeting, but ‘The American Gangster’ does not believe history will repeat itself that easily. He believes O’Malley is entering Newark with a more relaxed mindset and without the tremendous pressure that crippled him in their previous clash. The weight of being a champion is now gone, and so is the burden of perfection.
Sonnen claims that changing roles—from champion to challenger—will make all the difference. “It will be a very different fight. Sean’s going to enjoy this fight a lot more. The pressures that were put on O’Malley and the way that fight came around was razor-thin. But everything to lose was on O’Malley; everything was expected of him,” he explained, referring to the high expectations O’Malley carried to the UFC 306 main event. According to Sonnen, O’Malley was up against not only ‘The Machine’ but also a mountain of hype and commercial pressure. Now that those expectations have been stripped away, the cage may feel a little more spacious for the former champion. And if O’Malley’s claim of being “70% better” this time is true, fans may see a completely different version of him in June.
Even outside of the cage, Sean O’Malley appears to be on a mission. Reports of changes in lifestyle and increased discipline indicate that this is not the same fighter who was overwhelmed by Merab Dvalishvili‘s pace last fall. Everything points to a man determined to prove the loss was an exception, from changing training routines to eliminating distractions. Sonnen, a sharp reader of fighter psychology, sees this as a critical turning point. If this chapter concludes with revenge, O’Malley may have enough momentum to write his next at 145—with gold in mind. But what do you think? Will Sean O’Malley find success this time around? Let us know in the comments.
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