Dana White's Contender Series
Sean O’Malley | Dana White’s Contender Series Grad Showcase
Highlighting Fighters Who Made Their Mark On Dana White’s Contender Series And Have Continued To Impress In The UFC
Dana White’s Contender Series has proven to be a launching pad for rising UFC stars, offering fighters the opportunity to showcase their skills in front of the UFC CEO.
With one chance to make an impression, DWCS fighters can earn a UFC contract based solely on their performance that night if White believes they have what it takes to compete with UFC talent.
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In this series, we showcase DWCS grads who have started to rise the ranks since earning their UFC contract on the show. Next up: one of UFC's biggest superstars, bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley, who returns to the Octagon at UFC 306: O'Malley vs Dvalishvili on Saturday, September 14 to take on Merab Dvalishvili at Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Sean O’Malley
Since UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber and rap icon Snoop Dogg commentated his walk off knockout on Dana White’s Contender Series Season 2, Sean O’Malley has risen to superstardom, becoming one of the most popular athletes on the UFC roster.
Earning two impressive unanimous decisions in his first two bouts after signing his UFC contract, O’Malley has put an emphasis on the art of the walk off and delivering entertaining performances and highlight finishes to fight fans.
UFC 306: Sean O'Malley Interview | Merab Dvalishvili Interview | O'Malley vs Vera Full Fight | Dvalishvili vs Cejudo Full Fight
Following two years away from the Octagon, when he focused on bettering his health and mixed martial arts skills, O’Malley came into his UFC 248: Adesanya vs Romero bout against Jose Quinonez reset and refocused, and it didn’t take long to close the show. Displaying quick footwork and technical striking, O’Malley dropped Quinonez two minutes into the first round leading to his first UFC finish.
Sean O'Malley | Top Finishes
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Sean O'Malley | Top Finishes
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Three months later, O’Malley was back at it again at UFC 250: Nunes vs Spencer facing UFC veteran Eddie Wineland, who debuted in 2011. If getting a TKO finish in just over two minutes wasn’t sweet enough for “Sugar,” then a walk off KO against Wineland in under two minutes was sure to do the trick.
Faking an uppercut and coming over the top with a devastating right hand, O’Malley was already on his way to his corner before the ref could wave his arms to stop the fight. This was his first performance inside the Octagon that showed his power could finish UFC caliber athletes and that he had the potential to be an elite fighter in the bantamweight division.
READ: UFC 306 Fighters Talk Fighting At Sphere
O’Malley suffered his first setback two months later at UFC 252: Miocic vs Cormier 3 against Marlon Vera in his third fight in five months. He bounced back with a dominant performance seven months later against Thomas Almeida.
In the first round, “Sugar” thought he earned another walk off finish, dropping Almeida with a left hook after a clinical opening, and he turned away as if the referee was going to step in. But the bout resumed, and Almeida rose to his feet and kept on exchanging strikes.
This happened again in the third round. Dropping Almeida with yet another left hook, for a moment O’Malley assumed the fight would be over. But learning from the first round, O’Malley stepped forward and unloaded a fight-ending ground-and-pound strike that echoed around UFC APEX.
In his next two bouts, his elite striking continued to be on display, as he dominated short-notice opponent Kris Mouthino and Brazilian standout Raulian Paiva.
MORE UFC 306: Alexa Grasso Interview | Valentina Shevchenko Interview | Grasso vs Shevchenko 1 Full Fight | Grasso vs Shevchenko 2 Full Fight
After an accidental eye poke resulted in a no contest against Pedro Munhoz, O'Malley faced what was the biggest challenge of his professional career at that point, a clash with former bantamweight champion Petr Yan at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi. Entering the fight as a +230 underdog, O'Malley defied expectations with a Fight of the Night earning split decision victory.
His win over the former champ earned him his first title shot at UFC 292 against then-champion Aljamain Sterling. Again entering the fight as an underdog, O'Malley silenced the critics with a second round TKO victory to become the second Dana White's Contender Series grad to earn a UFC title (Jamahal Hill).
Sean O'Malley Interview | UFC 306
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Sean O'Malley Interview | UFC 306
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In his second straight main event, O'Malley put his belt on the line in a rematch against Vera, the only man to hold a win over him in his professional career. While you'd assume the stakes and pressure were at an all-time high for O'Malley, he arguably showcased his best performance to date, winning all five rounds on every scorecard. The win also made O'Malley the first and only DWCS grad to successfully defend a UFC title.
UPCOMING EVENTS: Buy Tickets For UFC 306 At Sphere | Purchase Tickets For UFC 307 In Utah | Register Your Interest For UFC Edmonton
That brings us to UFC 306: O'Malley vs Dvalishvili, where O'Malley will defend his title against Merab Dvalishvili at Sphere in Las Vegas. The action kicks off Saturday, September 14 live on PPV at 10pm ET/7pm PT.
UFC 306: O'Malley vs Dvalishvili took place live from Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada on September 14, 2024. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
