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.
MORE DWCS SHOWCASES: Maycee Barber | Andre Muniz | Marina Rodriguez | Taila Santos
O’Malley suffered his first setback two months later at UFC 252: Miocic vs Cormier 3, his third fight in five months. Injuring his right ankle a few minutes into his bout against Marlon Vera, O’Malley eventually fell to the floor after slipping from the injury. Heavy elbows from the top position by “Chito” and the obvious leg injury forced a stoppage from the referee.
After dealing with injuries in the past, O’Malley was no stranger to taking a necessary break and returning with a clean bill of health. His comeback fight seven months later against Thomas Almeida proved that injuries and time off don’t influence his skills and ability to perform under the lights.
View O’Malley’s Athlete Profile
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.
