5 biggest takeaways from UFC 292: Can Sean O’Malley survive superstardom after epic title coronation?
What mattered most at UFC 292 at TD Garden in Boston? Here are a few post-fight musings …
Should Chris Weidman take Dana White's retirement advice?
In the grand scheme, Chris Weidman was a winner just for getting in the octagon with Brad Tavares more than two years after snapping his leg in traumatic fashion against Uriah Hall. The fact he made it through the fight while having his bottom half ruthlessly attacked was an impressive show of toughness, and it was actually the first fight the former UFC chap had ever lost on the scorecards.
More immediately, though, questions about Weidman’s (15-7 MMA, 11-7 UFC) overall in the future come again to the forefront after he lost for the seventh time in his past nine fights. His pre-fight claims about this being the start of a run back to UFC gold can only be met with a grimace, and at 39, Weidman, his team and his family have some serious questions to ask about what he’s going to do going forward, especially after UFC president Dana White made an emphatic plea for him to retire.
If Weidman is losing convincingly to a non-contender in Tavares, what are his hopes against stiffer competition? You could say the next fight might be the most telling, because after the injury, this was in many ways a test run to see what he could handle both physically and mentally. But he’s kidding himself if doesn’t think every opponent going forward isn’t going to target the legs. Moreover, White claimed Weidman blew out his knee, which adds another barrier to his future.
Should he come to the choice of competing again, I’m honestly OK with it. But let’s be more realistic. He should be focus on one single performance and one single win and shut out anything that goes beyond that. That’s the only way I’d feel truly comfortable seeing him in there again, but it depends on the severity of his latest injury, too. It might be best just to pull the plug on his fighting future.
How legit is Ian Machado Garry?
Ian Machado Garry passed his most difficult test on paper to date with flying colors. He made light work of Neil Magny over three rounds, winning a unanimous decision that included a 30-24 scorecard in his favor.
Although he didn’t get the finish inside eight minutes that he predicted, that was more due to Magny’s absurd toughness. Most fighters would have quit from the accumulation of leg and calf kicks that Garry (13-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) poured on, so respect for Magny for that. The full 15 minutes just allowed Garry to show more of his arsenal, though, and it’s hard not to walk away impressed with him at this point.
Despite Garry clearly being talented, his ceiling is still difficult to determine, mainly due to the stacked nature of the welterweight division. There is so many tough names he’s going to have to get through to make it to the top, but he’s certainly on the right track. If he can keep his head on straight and maintain this level of focus in and out of the octagon going forward, Ireland could have the star on its hands that it can truly get behind at this point in time.
Who can stop Zhang Weili's title reign?
Zhang Weili breezed through Amanda Lemos over the course of five rounds to secure the first title defense of her second reign as strawweight champion, and we’re once again left wondering if we’re about to witness a long-term title reign from the Chinese titleholder.
The obvious answer, it would seem, is Tatiana Suarez. The undefeated contender has been pegged as a future UFC champ for years now, and her Olympic-level wrestling game is an obvious potential counter for Weili (24-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC), who has been leaning on her grappling a lot in recent fights.
Suarez (10-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) is a highly intriguing challenger, but it also could be hard for the UFC to resist and all-China title fight with Weili and Yan Xiaonan, who also is deserving of a crack at the belt. Either option seems solid, but if I had my choice, I think Suarez is the more dangerous threat to Weili.
Sean O'Malley has his crowning moment
The UFC couldn’t have scripted a better coronation moment for Sean O’Malley after he knocked out Aljamain Sterling to claim the bantamweight title in a near-flawless performance.
Whether you believe he got coddled in his path into his title shot, O’Malley (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) absolutely proved he deserved to be there as he landed a pinpoint shot on Sterling to set up the finishing sequence that led to the belt being wrapped around his waist.
Before we go completely head over heels for “Suga,” it’s worth taking a moment to acknowledge Sterling. He was a great champion and never looked for the easy road, and I hope he’s given an opportunity to get himself back into another championship fight down the line.
With that said, Sterling was not the UFC’s favorite titleholder. It couldn’t or wouldn’t fully embrace him, but O’Malley is the antithesis of that. He’s the promotion’s wet dream, and it’s clear a rocket ship is being strapped to his back. UFC boss White came to the press conference and declared the American “isn’t going to be a star – he is a star.” O’Malley’s full knockout highlight was put on the UFC’s YouTube channel moments after it happened, and for a company that tries to pinch every penny, that type of giveaway is telling about the degree of exposure it wants on the new champ.
Now it’s the start of when things are going to get crazy for O’Malley. He’s going to be pulled in every direction and have people coming out of the woodwork to get a slice of his time. He’s seemingly prepared for all that, but there’s plenty of examples showcasing how quickly things can change when the world and UFC machine are fully behind a fighter.
Even if O’Malley has his head on straight, though, that’s not what it’s all about. He doesn’t have the luxury of being in a weak division. Bantamweight is insanely stacked, and every contender is going to be coming for his head knowing what dethroning him of that title would mean for their career.
The most interesting chapter of O’Malley’s story so far has arrived, and everyone will be watching closely.
Is O'Malley vs. 'Chito' rematch the right next move?
Speaking of someone coming for O’Malley head, it seems the UFC champion has a fairytale storyline set up for his first defense, which all signs point to being a rematch with Marlon Vera.
To state the obvious first: “Chito” isn’t the most deserving 135-pound contender right now. Merab Dvalishvili is the clear first candidate. Cory Sandhagen, who just beat Vera (21-8-1 MMA, 15-7 UFC) earlier this year, is next in line. However, both those men are injured right now, and with O’Malley being adamant about making his first title defense at December’s UFC 296 event in Las Vegas, neither of them can make the timeline.
Even if they were healthy, though, this is a spicy dish for the UFC to resist. Positioning O’Malley with the chance to avenge his one and only career loss in his first title defense is beyond perfect, and if O’Malley can win that one, he will have so much leverage and ammunition on his side, it’s hard to properly put it into context.
At the end of the day I don’t see too many people being upset with a title shot for Vera. He’s beloved by many fans, and it actually makes sense. It’s going to be a fantastic build, and the games already have begun between the pair on social media.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 292.
