LAS VEGAS – Another fight, another convincing knockout for Helena native Sean O’Malley.
At UFC 250, the undefeated bantamweight caught veteran Eddie Wineland with a clean right hand, sending him to the canvas.
O’Malley (12-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) didn’t follow up the punch. He didn’t need to. Referee Herb Dean stepped in and stopped the fight at the 1:54 mark of the first round, as O’Malley calmly and confidently walked away. With no fans in attendance at the UFC APEX facility in Las Vegas, the moment was eerily silent.
“I really do believe I have the best striking in MMA,” O’Malley said after the knockout win. "I know it sounds silly because I haven't fought that many guys. But I'll keep doing it throughout my career. I really believe I have the best striking in MMA."
It’s the second consecutive first-round knockout win for O’Malley in three months, who handled Jose Quinonez at UFC 248 back in March.
The fight marked the biggest step up in O’Malley’s career to date. Wineland (24-14-1, 6-8 UFC) is a veteran with 14 UFC fights under his belt, but O’Malley, 25, didn’t appear fazed.
O’Malley, who fights out of the MMA Lab in Phoenix, has now won eight of his 12 pro matches with a knockout and nine of them in the first round. He'll look to continue his meteoric rise up the UFC bantamweight division, seeking out a ranked opponent for his next fight.
HE SLEPT HIM! 😱 WALK OFF, @SUGASEANMMA! #UFC250 pic.twitter.com/extMDtAGGU
— UFC (@ufc) June 7, 2020
