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SEAN O’MALLEY | RE-BOOTING ‘THE SUGA SHOW’
Former Bantamweight Champ Eager To Return To Finishing Ways At UFC 324
Sean O’Malley heads into unfamiliar waters next month when he returns to action as part of the UFC’s debut numbered event on Paramount+ in a crucial showdown with Song Yadong at UFC 324.
For the first time in more than three years, “Suga” will be competing in a three-round non-title fight, his first since edging out current champ Petr Yan at UFC 280, which punched his ticket to the championship fight where he ultimately ascended to the bantamweight throne.
“I’m the three-round UFC bantamweight champ, and I like that,” O’Malley said in early December when we spoke following the UFC 324 introductory press event in Las Vegas the night before UFC 323. Dressed in a bathrobe with his technicolor hair fading, the former champion was back to being his brash self. “I’m undefeated in three rounds, so we’re rolling with that.”
Neither of those things is true, of course, but that’s part of what has always made the 31-year-old Montana native such a captivating figure. While there are no three-round titles and he caught his first “L” in his initial meeting with Marlon “Chito” Vera, no fighter has been more eager to set their own narrative over the last five years than O’Malley, and he’s continuing to do so as we head into the Paramount era.
While he’s never been shy about speaking with the media, the former titleholder has addressed things from his vantage point, picking and choosing where and when he wants to be detailed and introspective while keeping things surface and somewhat cliched at other times.
Heading into the new year, the Dana White’s Contender Series standout is in a completely foreign position, having dropped consecutive contests for the first time after losing the title to Merab Dvalishvili by unanimous decision at the 2024 edition of Noche UFC before getting submitted in their rematch last summer in Newark. It’s the first time since that initial loss to Vera that there have been significant questions about where he goes from here, but initially, O’Malley wasn’t particularly worried about the optics or discussing how he feels in his current situation.
“Each fight feels like you’re 0-0; it feels like you’re 0-0 going into your next fight,” he began. “I feel like this is just another fight.
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“I like this matchup. It’s not Merab, which is nice — the last two fights, the last two fight camps were Merab, Merab, Merab, so it’s nice. It’s a change of styles, three rounds instead of five rounds —it feels good; I like it.”
Despite making his promotional debut seven-and-a-half years ago, Song is just now reaching his athletic prime, having turned 28 at the start of the month.
The young Chinese veteran is currently stationed at No. 5 in the rankings and enters off a technical decision win over recently retired former champ Henry Cejudo last February in Seattle. Whereas the five fighters ahead of him in the divisional hierarchy are all well-established, there is a little more uncertainty about where Song fits in the division, as he’s continued to refine his game over the course of his 15-fight UFC career and profiles as someone who still has another level he could very well advance to in the future.
That’s part of what has O’Malley excited about the pairing.
Strikers delight on the biggest stage 👊@SugaSeanMMA and @SongYadongLFG collide at #UFC324!
— UFC (@ufc) December 20, 2025
[ JANUARY 24 LIVE on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/IZMNPSMKwg
“He’s a striker, he’s powerful, he’s explosive, he’s young, he’s hungry, he’s experienced, so it’s going to be a difficult challenge to solve,” he said, offering his thoughts on what his opponent brings to the table and the task before him on January 24 at T-Mobile Arena. “I think he’s gonna try to mix it up — I’m not gonna be stupid and think he’s not gonna try to shoot.
“I think they saw the last two fights, but that’s Merab taking me down,” he added, putting a qualifier on the 11 takedowns he’s surrendered over the last eight rounds and change. “I think if Song comes in there and shoots, I’ll be able to stay on the feet, but I think he’ll try.”
Keeping things standing is where O’Malley made a name for himself, first as the breakout star of the first season of Dana White’s Contender Series and then on his march towards the top of the 135-pound weight class.
His contract-winning performance against Alfred Khashakyan remains one of the signature highlights from the series, complete with Snoop Dogg shouting his name repeatedly, and his stoppages over “Teco” Quinonez, Eddie Wineland, and Thomas Almeida helped propel him into the title mix.
But he hasn’t earned a finish since he claimed the title from Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292, and it’s something he’s out to rectify against Song, both to show fans he’s still capable of putting people out, but more importantly, to remind himself that he’s capable of doing such things as well.
“Even more so than proving to everyone else, (it’s) proving to myself I’m still capable of putting people’s lights out,” he said earnestly when asked what a finish over Song would mean to him, both personally and professionally. “It’s been too long! Since Aljo! That’s too many years in between the last knockout.
“So to prove to myself I can go out there and put his lights out would mean a lot, but also, he’s very durable,” he added, dialling back the pressure to finish ever so slightly. “Going out there and getting the job done is the No. 1 priority.”
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The matchup is the first marquee pairing in the division where Yan now sits on the throne for a second time after authoring a masterful performance to seize the belt from Dvalishvili at UFC 323. A change at the top of the division opens a new world of possibilities for those who had already fallen to Dvalishvili, and with others working their way forward in the ranks, bantamweight is poised to be one of the most active and interesting divisions in the UFC in 2026, and that has O’Malley excited.
“I’m at the top of the division,” he said when asked about his path back to the top of the division, acknowledging that how things played out between Yan and Dvalishvili would have a significant impact on how things shook out. “So go out there, take out Song. Umar (Nurmagomedov) is fighting Deiveson (Figueiredo), Aiemann (Zahabi) is coming up the rankings — the division’s very interesting right now; Cory (Sandhagen) is out there.
“There are so many opportunities after this fight.”
Full Fight | Sean O'Malley vs Marlon Vera
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Full Fight | Sean O'Malley vs Marlon Vera
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Having last fought in June, O’Malley admitted that he was keen on stepping back into the fray before the end of the year, but he recognizes the impact of competing on the first Paramount+ event and the opportunity it provides him as 2026 gets underway.
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“It’s huge!” he said regarding being a part of UFC 324. “I was ready to fight a little bit earlier, but I feel like the UFC wanted me on this card, so I feel like I need to go out there and do what ‘The Suga Show’ does, and that’s put out Song’s lights.”
So will the breakout star of Dana White’s Contender Series be the breakout star of the first year of the Paramount+ era?
“I like it,” he said when presented with the idea. “You said it. Sounds good!”
UFC 324: Gaethje vs Pimblett took place live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 24, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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