They sure grow up fast, these cage fighters. Could it really have been eight years ago already that Sean O’Malley was stealing the show on Dana White’s Contender Series? Here was a scrappy, mouthy bantamweight—and most of the weight came from his abundant body ink and his copious multi-colored hair—winning sensationally and talking more sensationally, still.
Deploying sneaky movement and a nuclear-grade right hand, O’Malley went a dozen pro fights without a defeat. While he finally lost to Marlon Vera at UFC 252, he avenged that defeat in a rematch last year.
