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Sean O’Malley Still Can't Get Over His Humbling Defeat at UFC 306: ‘I’m Still Sad’
Sean O’Malley opens up about his emotional response to a tough defeat at UFC 306, sharing his thoughts on the humbling experience and plans for redemption.
Sean O’Malley is, quite expectedly, crestfallen at his recent defeat. Going one-on-one against Merab Dvalishvili, O’Malley was expected to put on a striking masterclass against the Georgian. Unfortunately, things turned out to be quite the opposite as ‘Suga’ seemed to be in a spot of bother right from Round 1. While O’Malley attempted to get a hold of Dvalishvili, the Georgian was clever enough to stay out of his reach. Unfortunately, this strategy worked for Dvalishvili as ‘Suga’ lost his championship at HFC 306.
Speaking on the ‘SugaSeanMMA’ show, O'Malley got candid about the mental state he was in. Elaborating more on the matter, the former UFC bantamweight champion stated, “Woke up today and I'm still sad... but you know what, time heals... It's all about perspective, life's still good. Definitely f***ing stings.” Surely, the way the match went is enough to break down the mental strength of any athlete.
As Dvalishvili moved away from O’Malley, the champion had to commit in order to land some significant strikes. Unfortunately, the moment ‘Suga’ advanced, ‘The Machine’ took full advantage and took him down on the mat. Over the course of the five rounds, Dvalishvili made over 12 successful takedowns that heavily impacted the scoring in his favor.
While on the ground, O’Malley tried hard to reverse but ‘The Machine’ was just too strong for the champion to overpower. Getting constant pep talks from coach Tim Welch, O’Malley looked desperate as the rounds went by. At the fag end of Round 5, ‘Suga’ managed to connect a couple of body shots which pained Dvalishvili significantly. Unfortunately for O’Malley, it was too late by then, and Merab Dvalishvili was crowned as the new champion.
Interestingly, Dvalishvili made a gesture that quickly went viral during the match. Towards the end of the second round, Dvalishvili had ‘Suga’ held firmly in a stranglehold against the fence. However, things soon went awry as ‘The Machine’ started kissing the back region of Sean O’Malley. After kissing several times, referee Herb Dean intervened and warned Dvalishvili not to repeat such demeanors.
Speaking on the same, Dvalishvili later revealed that it was a lighthearted attempt on his part to mock the champion. By kissing him while keeping ‘Suga’ under his control, Dvalishvili wanted to prove his dominance over O’Malley. Thus, with such a humiliating defeat, it looks like ‘Suga’ will have to regroup. Fans are now looking forward see to how he manages to come back.
ALSO READ: Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley Engage in Heated Verbal Back-and-Forth in UFC BTS Video
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