Legendary boxing trainer Teddy Atlas believes Sean O’Malley could defeat ‘a lot of pro boxers.’
At UFC 299, O’Malley defended his bantamweight title for the first time in a one-sided unanimous decision win against Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera. ‘Sugar’ added to his reputation as one of the best MMA strikers on the planet by suffering minimal damage and battering Vera in their five-round rematch.
O’Malley has voiced his interest in a professional boxing match several times throughout his UFC tenure. Despite having world-class striking skills, the American superstar has been ridiculed, as most people believe MMA fighters can’t find high-level success in “The Sweet Science.”
Meanwhile, the well-respected boxing figure Teddy Atlas reacted to O’Malley’s latest win by saying this during a recent episode of his podcast:
“I’m not going to call [O’Malley] a striker. I think he would beat a lot of pro fighters…He would beat a lot of pro boxers, he’s that good at boxing. His legs are that good, his striking ability, his combinations are that technically sound and that pure.”
Atlas continued by praising O’Malley’s striking skills:
“His hands are that fast. His ring IQ is that high. His vision is that clear, he sees everything, and he’s a tremendous counter puncher, a pure counter puncher…He’s got a long jab, and he uses that long jab to set up punches. He knows range really well, he controls range really well. Not only with his feet but even with getting full length on his punches. He gets full extension.”
Teddy Atlas uses quote from the legendary Cus D’Amato to describe Sean O’Malley at UFC 299
Teddy Atlas has been in the boxing game for several decades, acquiring knowledge from legendary trainers and fighters. During the previously mentioned podcast episode, Atlas utilized a quote from the great Cus D’Amato to describe Sean O’Malley’s dominant win against Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera at UFC 299:
“Cus D’Amato always told me, ‘Teddy, when a guy wins the title, he automatically becomes 30% better.’ You know what, that’s scary because O’Malley looked 30% [at UFC 299]. That much more solid, that much more consistent, that much more together. He has improved.”
Shortly after getting his hand raised, Sean O’Malley called out featherweight champion Ilia Topuria during his UFC 299 post-fight interview. The potential matchup fell flat with the fans, leading O’Malley to re-focus on his bantamweight division, where Merab Dvalishvili awaits as the number one contender riding a ten-fight sin streak.
Watch Atlas’ latest podcast episode below:
