Sean O’Malley’s ‘Skinny Body’ Couldn’t Handle UFC Fighter

Getty Sean O'Malley

During a recent interview, No. 12-ranked UFC bantamweight Ricky Simon said Sean O’Malley’s “skinny body” couldn’t handle his wrestling.

Simon, who boasts a professional mixed martial arts record of 19-3, spoke with Low Kick MMA about his No. 13-ranked counterpart. Simon is known for his powerful frame and wrestling prowess, and he believes that’s why he and “Suga” haven’t met inside the Octagon.

“You know why, you know why,” Simon said. “He (Sean O’Malley) doesn’t want to deal with the wrestling – he doesn’t want to deal with that wrestling, his skinny body couldn’t handle the power doubles, for sure.”

Simon continued, saying that unlike O’Malley’s UFC 276 opponent, No. 10 Pedro Munhoz, he’s a “bad matchup” for Suga, who is in pursuit of 135-pound gold.

“And, I think he knows Pedro (Munhoz) will be more comfortable standing with him for longer periods of time,” Simon continued. “He won’t give him that wrestling, look, I’m just such a bad matchup for him at this stage of his career that he’s just not gonna take the fight, which is – alright, if you want to play your way to the title, that’s all you, good on you. Don’t be saying my name and act like you wanna fight me, and not fight me, ‘cause that pisses me off. I’m all about it. I think I’m the best in the world at this point. … Don’t be talking and acting like you’re something, when you’re not.”

Simon is scheduled to fight undefeated prospect Jake Shore on July 16.

O’Malley Plans to Fight for a Title Next Year

If things go according to plan for Suga, he’ll be competing for the bantamweight championship next year. That’s what he told Ariel Helwani during a recent appearance on “The MMA Hour.”

“Two more finishes — early 2023, I’m fighting for the belt, whoever has it,” O’Malley said via MMA Fighting. I think after this fight, I go out there, I’ve got to finish Pedro — and I go out there, let’s say I finish Pedro, I get a top-5 guy, whoever that is.”

O’Malley is 15-1 as a professional, with his sole defeat coming at the hands of Marlon Vera in August 2020. He’s earned three KO/TKO victories since his defeat to “Chito,” beating Raulian Piva, Kris Moutinho and Thomas Almeida.

O’Malley Is Game to Fight Vera After Munhoz

Chito broke into the division’s top five after putting on an impressive performance against Rob Font in April. Like Suga, Vera is on a three-fight win streak and has an overall record of 19-7-1.

And if Chito is available, Suga is ready to fight the Ecuadorian again should he get past Munhoz on July 2.

“I don’t know if he’s going to get a fight booked,” O’Malley said. “I’m assuming. He seemed like he wants to fight again. If he goes out there and wins, that could be another fight, maybe December time frame. We’ll see. I was kind of hoping Rob [Font] would win that fight, because I wanted to fight Rob, but he didn’t obviously. So yeah, I think Pedro, depending on if Chito goes out there and beats someone in the top five, he probably can get a title shot. If he doesn’t end up getting a fight, I would like finish Pedro and get that fight, and we’ll see.”