What Will the UFC Do with Sean O’Malley After UFC 276?
At UFC 276, Sean O’Malley and Pedro Munhoz fought to a no-contest as an incidental eye poke from O’Malley left Munhoz with an eye injury. O’Malley is one of the top bantamweight prospects and this fight was supposed to be his first against ranked competition. After this anticlimactic ending, the UFC is left to ponder what they should do with O’Malley moving forward. Here are a couple of opponents that would make sense for O’Malley in the future.
Pedro Munhoz
A rematch with Munhoz makes a lot of sense. In fights to make after UFC 276, this idea was discussed. This fight made a lot of sense when it was booked and was a great opportunity for each fighter at the current stage of their career. After this fight ended as a no contest, it still makes sense. O’Malley will have the opportunity to beat a fighter in the top 10, while Munhoz can secure his position in the bantamweight rankings.
The only issue here is that it is unclear how long Munhoz will need to recover. If this injury causes Munhoz to miss a significant amount of time, the UFC will need to find another opponent for O’Malley.
Cody Garbrandt
Former UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt could be a worthwhile opponent for O’Malley. Garbrandt is not ranked, but his status as a former champion makes this an intriguing option for the UFC. Garbrandt has also been on a slide, losing five of his last six. Fighting O’Malley will allow the 30-year-old to work his way back into the rankings and add a young prospect to his resume. For O’Malley, this fight would make a lot of sense as Garbrandt would be a respectable win. From an entertainment perspective, these two fighters have beef. Plus, their styles would likely result in someone being knocked out.
Frankie Edgar
A fight between Frankie Edgar and O’Malley makes sense for a lot of the same reasons as the fight with Munhoz does. Edgar is a former champion, and he is currently ranked No. 12. Furthermore, Edgar’s stock is low as he has been knocked out in his last two fights. At the same time, this fight would allow him to display that he is still an elite fighter. For O’Malley, this could be a good opportunity to add another knockout to his highlight reel. Lastly, Edgar is a great wrestler, and this matchup would give O’Malley a chance to show that he has solid defensive grappling. All of these points are reasons the UFC may entertain this booking.
