30-year-old former UFC champion makes shock statement on potential retirement

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Sean O’Malley was once billed as the UFC’s next big thing, but over the past year, his rise has lost a lot of steam.

In what was arguably their biggest event to date, the UFC took over the Sphere in September with Sean O’Malley defending his bantamweight title against Merab Dvalishvili in the main event.

Dvalishvili dominated from start to finish, leaving no doubt about who deserved to hold the belt at 135 pounds.

O’Malley did not pick up a win before getting another crack at Dvalishvili, and when they met again at UFC 316 this June, it was more of the same. This time, Dvalishvili finished him with a submission in the third round.

Sean O’Malley hints at possible retirement after consecutive defeats

In the lead-up to his rematch with Merab, O’Malley made several lifestyle changes, including stepping away from social media. For someone who has built much of his brand online, it was a notable shift.

But the result in the Octagon did not change, and after another loss, he soon slipped back into the old routines.

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Reflecting on those defeats, O’Malley later said he still believed he could beat Dvalishvili if they ever met for a third time.

More recently though, he has raised questions about his future in the sport altogether.

“If I had to guess, it would be November or December this year (that I return), ideally I’d fight one more time this year but it’s possible I don’t fight again this year, it’s actually possible that I never fight again, you just never know,” O’Malley said on a recent episode of his podcast.

Even though retirement does not seem imminent for the 30-year-old given how much he has earned already and all that is left to prove, nothing can ever be ruled out when it comes to fighting.

Who could O’Malley face if he decides to come back?

If Sean O’Malley does return, it will not have the same pay-per-view impact as before. However, the UFC’s new $7.7 billion broadcast deal has removed PPV buys from the equation entirely, so it no longer matters as it once did.

O’Malley was moved up to title contention rather quickly and did not cross paths with many top contenders on his way up, so there are still plenty of interesting fights available for him.

Dvalishvili is set to defend his belt against Cory Sandhagen at UFC 320, and if Sandhagen does not win that fight, a matchup with ‘Suga’ early next year could be a strong option for both fighters.