Sean O’Malley’s recent loss to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306 was a tough pill to swallow. The flashy striker found himself out grappled and dethroned as bantamweight champion. But in the world of MMA, a loss isn’t always the end of the story.
Tim Welch, O’Malley’s longtime coach and corner man, has been criticized online for his performance during the fight. Fans can be brutal, but Welch isn’t letting the criticism get him down. In a recent episode of Red Hawk Recap, Welch sat down to discuss the aftermath. He was joined by MMA Guru Joe Riggs and producer Schmitty.
“I swear. I truly believe that it’s going to light a fire. And it’s going to wake a whole new demon from Sean,” said Welch.
Tim Welch didn’t shy away from addressing the elephant in the room – Sean O’Malley’s grappling weakness. It’s no secret that ‘Suga’ prefers to keep things standing. However, the head coach isn’t throwing in the towel. He is downright optimistic about O’Malley’s future.
Welch plans to focus on creating scrambles off takedowns. It’s a smart strategy. If you can’t stop the takedown, at least make your opponent work for it. And who knows? Maybe O’Malley will catch someone in a transition and execute a guillotine choke, just like Dustin Poirier does. Whether it becomes successful or not remains to be seen.
Tim Welch Responds To Backlash After Sean O’Malley’s Loss At Noche UFC
O’Malley’s long-time coach recently found himself in hot water after UFC 306. The event, held at the dazzling Las Vegas Sphere, saw O’Malley lose his bantamweight title to Merab Dvalishvili.
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The controversy erupted over Welch’s corner advice before the final round. “We are almost done with this,” he told Sean O’Malley. Fans and critics alike pounced on these words, interpreting them as defeatist. Even former UFC champ Matt Serra joined the chorus of disapproval. But Welch isn’t taking this lying down. He’s come out swinging, addressing the backlash head-on in a recent chat with ESPN MMA.
“It came out the wrong way. I meant to say, ‘We’re almost done with this’, like, you’re going to clip him at any time. But also, I’ve known Sean for 12 years, I know what’s going through his mind and keeping him confident.”
The coach tried to clarify his intentions. He wanted to convey that the fight was nearly over and Sean O’Malley could still win. Tim Welch confessed he often forgets about the cameras and mics. In the heat of the moment, he is focused solely on his fighter. It is a reminder that in MMA, private conversations become very public very quickly.
