UFC fighter Sean O`Malley has shared his intentions regarding retirement as his career progresses.
This weekend, O`Malley is set to face Merab Dvalishvili in a highly anticipated rematch headlining UFC 316 in Newark, New Jersey. Their first encounter took place at UFC 306 last September, where Dvalishvili defeated O`Malley by unanimous decision, claiming the Bantamweight title.
Having recently undergone successful surgery for a torn labrum, Sean O`Malley feels confident and prepared for the upcoming title fight against Dvalishvili.
Looking beyond Saturday`s fight, O`Malley is considering future opponents, potentially a third fight with Dvalishvili or other top contenders in the division.
Regarding the duration of his career, O`Malley provided insights.
Sean O’Malley targets retirement at 37 or 38
Now 30 years old and having been a professional mixed martial artist for a decade (joining the UFC at 22), O`Malley estimates he has several more years of fighting left.
He told ESPN MMA, “I wanna fight till I`m 37, 38.”
He added that his career length depends on his physical condition. “I’ll fight as long as my body holds up.”
To ensure longevity, O`Malley emphasizes the importance of recovery. “For that to be the case, I have to take recovery as serious as I take training, and I have been doing that, and I think it’ll pay off.”
He concluded on this point, “I’m 30 now. I think I got some good years in me.”
Sean O’Malley admits UFC 306 fight with Dvalishvili was ill-advised
Reflecting on their first fight at UFC 306, Sean O`Malley admitted that accepting the fight against Merab Dvalishvili under those circumstances was perhaps ill-advised.
O`Malley was not fully healthy due to a torn labrum injury but felt compelled to accept the opportunity to headline the landmark event at the Sphere.
“I was proud of my performance considering how I felt going into the fight,” O`Malley commented on the first Dvalishvili bout.
He stated, “I don’t wanna have excuses. It wasn’t a great camp, but it was a good camp for what I was able to do.”
He acknowledged underestimating Dvalishvili`s skills somewhat, despite knowing his quality: “I was, I don’t wanna say overconfident. I was underestimating Merab’s skill. I know how good he is. I just believed in myself that much…”
Looking back, O`Malley conceded, “So looking back on it, yeah, I probably shouldn’t have accepted the fight.”
He detailed the injury timeline: “I tore my labrum, my hip ten weeks before the fight. Eight weeks before the fight, Hunter called me and said, ‘Hey, you got the Sphere…’ And I was like, I’m not gonna turn that down.”
O`Malley also shared a curious premonition, feeling he might lose after discovering a dead owl on his driveway 10 days before the UFC 306 fight.
Gareth Pendleton