UFC Fighter Sean O'Malley Needs to Play it Smart with Henry Cejudo Getting The Title Shot

Sean O'Malley, the top contender in the UFC bantamweight division, is considering whether to risk taking another fight while waiting for his shot at the UFC title. O'Malley (16-1 in MMA, 8-1 in the UFC) earned the number one contender spot with a victory over former champion Petr Yan at UFC 280 in October in an overtly controversial way involving judges. A fight that has brought bad judging to the forefront of MMA currently and even plaguing the MMA fight organization going into 2023 .

However, with the UFC reportedly giving the returning Henry Cejudo the next chance to challenge reigning champ Aljamain Sterling (22-3 in MMA, 14-3 in the UFC), O'Malley may have to wait a while for his title opportunity. Which in a sense is another quagmire of legitimacy the UFC itself will have to deal with considering O'Malley was promised the next shot at reigning and defending bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling.

"I'm in a tricky position," O'Malley said on Michael Bisping's "Believe You Me" podcast. "I've always knew I'd be in this position where you're at the top of the division, (and) it doesn't really make sense to fight. I'm guaranteed a title shot...It's like you only get so many years to fight, and I don't really like sitting around too much. But I'm leaning towards waiting for Aljo and Henry to fight and just wait for that."

While no date has been announced for the Sterling-Cejudo fight, O'Malley is leaning towards waiting for the bout to happen rather than taking another risk in the octagon. O'Malley will use the extra time to work on his grappling, an area he knows will be important against either Sterling or Cejudo.

"I'm not really too worried about it," O'Malley said. "I'm just training. I'm getting better. I know I need to improve in aspects of my grappling whether I fight Aljo or Henry. Both are very heavy grapplers, so I'm fine with sitting out. I'm literally just grappling. That's all I'm really doing nowadays, so I'm fine waiting a couple of extra months, just keep getting better." Which works in his favor considering the caliber of grappling that both elite level fighters hold in their skillset and with O'Malley having none of the accolades of a high level NCAA division wrestler in Aljamain Sterling or the Olympic gold medal level Caliber of Henry Cejudo.