The king no more — “Suga” Sean O’Malley‘s rule over the UFC‘s most stacked division, bantamweight, is over. But, was that O’Malley’s first loss? And where does his professional mixed martial arts record sit after UFC 306 on September 14, 2024?
Suga had a tough night at the office last Saturday when he couldn’t answer the problem posed by “The Machine,” Merab Dvalishvili. The latter used his world-class cardio, effective countering, and overwhelming grappling to take O’Malley out of his game. Besides a last-minute teep that hurt Dvalishvili, Suga didn’t have much success with his offense, and his defensive wrestling didn’t hold up.
After five rounds, the match went to the judges, and they declared the Georgian the winner via unanimous decision. So, how does that stack up in regards to his previous fights?
How has Sean O’Malley performed over the years?
This was the first time O’Malley was on the wrong side of the scorecards. But, it wasn’t the first moment he felt the agony of defeat. All in all, O’Malley has left the Octagon without a victory on three occasions, with two of those being because of losses.
Suga has a record of 18 wins to two losses, with one no-contest. Twelve of his triumphs came by KO/TKO, one via submission, and five through decisions. However, if anyone looked at O’Malley’s social media ahead of the bout, or tuned into an interview, they likely heard the 29-year-old maintain that he was undefeated. However, this isn’t the case entirely.
Before UFC 306, O’Malley’s sole loss came at the hands of Marlon “Chito” Vera. The two originally duelled in 2020 at UFC 252, and Chito bested O’Malley in the opening round by TKO. However, it wasn’t without controversy — and denial on Suga’s part. O’Malley crumbled to the canvas courtesy of calf kicks from Vera. The kicks triggered a nerve in O’Malley’s leg, and the fight was stopped by the referee after Chito landed unforgiving ground-and-pound.
Regardless, Suga called the defeat a fluke, and he blamed his body — not Vera — for the quick finish. Fast forward around four years and O’Malley had the opportunity to right the wrong. And he did, emphatically. They rematched at UFC 299 in March 2024 for O’Malley’s first title defense. The then-champion put on a striking clinic and dominated Chito on the feet from pillar to post.
The only other time O’Malley didn’t win (besides when he fought The Machine) was in July 2022 at UFC 276. He went toe to toe with perennial contender Pedro Munhoz and an accidental eye poke derailed the bout. Munhoz suffered the injury and was unable to continue fighting, so the match was determined a no-contest. They never rematched.
Even though Suga’s no longer the champion, he still has a fantastic MMA record. And with youth and skill still on his side, his time at the top of the 135-pound rankings is likely far from over. O’Malley’s reign of claiming himself undefeated (as is par for the UFC course) shows no signs of slowing down, either.