Sean O'Malley Record: 20-3-0

Rise and championship reign

O'Malley relaunched his climb in March 2020 with a first-round TKO of Jose Alberto Quiñonez at UFC 248, then knocked out veteran Eddie Wineland with a single punch at UFC 250 in June 2020. His first real setback came that August, when Marlon Vera stopped him by TKO after O'Malley suffered a leg injury. He regrouped emphatically: a third-round knockout of Thomas Almeida in March 2021, a third-round stoppage of Kris Moutinho at UFC 264, and a first-round TKO of Raulian Paiva to close 2021. After a no-contest with Pedro Munhoz (an accidental eye poke) at UFC 276 in July 2022, he announced himself as a true contender with a split-decision win over former champion Petr Yan at UFC 280 in October 2022. The title came next: at UFC 292 in August 2023, O'Malley knocked out reigning champion Aljamain Sterling in the second round to capture the UFC Bantamweight Championship. He defended it once, outpointing Marlon Vera over five rounds in their March 2024 rematch at UFC 299 to avenge his earlier loss.

Losing and chasing the belt

O'Malley's reign ended in September 2024, when Merab Dvalishvili took the title by unanimous decision at UFC 306. The June 2025 rematch at UFC 316 went the same way, with Dvalishvili submitting him via north-south choke in the third round. O'Malley reset in 2026, opening the year with a unanimous-decision win over Yadong Song at UFC 324, then stopping Aiemann Zahabi by second-round TKO to rebuild toward another title run.

Fighting style

O'Malley is one of the division's most precise strikers, a long, rangy fighter who uses distance, feints and pinpoint counters to set up fight-ending shots. Thirteen of his 20 wins have come by knockout or TKO, the engine behind his 70% finish rate, and his ability to drop opponents from unexpected angles is among the best at 135 pounds. His grappling has been the question mark – both of his decisive championship losses came against the relentless wrestling pressure of Dvalishvili – but his striking remains elite, and his combination of reach, accuracy and star power keeps him a constant threat to reclaim the belt.

Career highlights

• UFC Bantamweight Champion — knocked out Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292 to win the 135-pound title.
• Avenged his only TKO loss — outpointed Marlon Vera over five rounds at UFC 299 in his first title defense.
• Elite finisher — 13 of his 20 wins by knockout or TKO, including a viral Contender Series finish that launched his career.