Could UFC Fighter Sean O’Malley’s Career Be Over With UFC Fans?
Sean O’Malley has produced a defiant response after suffering a freak ankle injury during his first-round defeat to Marlon Vera at UFC 252. The undefeated bantamweight was the heavy favorite to vanquish his Ecuadorian opponent in the co-main event, but he rolled his ankle badly in the opening stages of the fight. His mobility was totally diminished, allowing Vera to pounce and finish him off with a vicious elbow.
O’Malley refused to give Vera credit in the aftermath of the bout, branding the Ecuadorian “a journeyman” that simply got lucky. Let’s look at his career in five years, let’s look at mine,” said Sugar in a post-fight interview. “I’m going to be f**king world champion, he’s going to be a f**king journeyman.”
It was a colorful response from a colorful fighter, but O’Malley may not actually find it so easy to return to the top of the bantamweight division. It looked like a nasty injury, and it could totally derail his momentum at a crucial time in his fledgling career. Sugar fans will now wonder if their hero can recover and recapture the levels he displayed before losing to Vera.
Did Vera Inflict the Injury?
O’Malley’s injury initially appeared to be non-contact, as his ankle buckled when moving towards his opponent. However, Chito insisted that he checked a kick just before that incident, arguing that he caused the injury. If you watch a replay of the fight, you can see that he is uncomfortable putting weight on his right foot after taking that savage kick.
He switched stances, used his left leg as his lead leg, and then stepped on his right toes. Sugar buckled the first time he actually put his weight on his right leg, adding credibility to Vera’s claims. Some viewers were unconvinced, arguing that he caused the injury by failing to pay attention to his footwork.
Others believe it was an accident waiting to happen. O’Malley has cut a lot of weight from his large frame in order to fight at bantamweight, and that can lead to a loss of bone density, leaving fighters more vulnerable to injury.
Moving On Up
The onus may now be on O’Malley to move up to featherweight, as he looked pretty drained at the weigh-in. That could make him less liable to suffer future injuries, but it would be a risky strategy, as he would be up against formidable, powerful fighters like Brian Ortega, Calvin Kattar and champion Alexander Volkanovski.
Sugar has taken a number of smaller fighters apart since appearing in Dana White’s Contender Series 2 back in July 2017. His flashy display earned him a UFC contract, and he beat Terrion Ware in The Ultimate Fighter: A New World Champion Finale, before rattling off consecutive victories over Andre Soukjamthath, José Alberto Quinonez and Eddie Wineland to take his pro record to 12-0.
He had drawn considerable plaudits from White, and appeared to have the world at his feet as he geared up for UFC 252. He was the clear favorite in the spread betting on UFC, but he is now facing up to a lengthy spell on the sidelines, while his air of invincibility has faded.
Future opponents are likely to target his ankle repeatedly in a bid to incapacitate him, and that could cause his problems as he bids to become a world champion. It remains to be seen how long he will have to spend on the treatment table, but he would be wise not to rush back to action given the severity of his injury.
The King of Rolling Ankles
Henry Cejudo suffered a similar injury on two separate occasions and he still went on to win the UFC flyweight and bantamweight championship bouts before retiring. He was a lot older than O’Malley at the time, and he still bounced back in style. There are also rumors of him coming out of retirement to fight Volkanovski at featherweight.
That should provide O’Malley with inspiration as he sets out on the comeback trail. Many fans would prefer him to be humbler regarding his defeat to Vera, but that is not Sugar’s style. He will continue to talk up his own abilities and trash talk his rivals, and that is what makes him such a magnetic personality within UFC. Yet he will eventually have to back up the talk with some big performances in the octagon, and he will be desperate to return to action.
Cejudo has taken it upon himself to troll O’Malley in the aftermath of his defeat to Chito – “You’ll never get close to my belt but you will always be the champ at rolling blunts and ankles,” read one savage Tweet – and it would be fascinating to see the two men lock horns. Yet O’Malley would need to rattle off some high-profile victories before earning a fight of that magnitude. It is too early to say that his career is over at the ripe old age of 23, but his next couple of performances will be crucial in determining whether he will ever get a title shot.
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