Former UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt doesn’t believe Sean O’Malley’s knockout win at UFC 250 can compare to his.
Garbrandt and O’Malley competed in separate bouts on the UFC 250 card. Garbrandt took on Raphael Assuncao, while O’Malley shared the Octagon with Eddie Wineland. Both “No Love” and the “Sugar” show scored highlight reel knockouts. Both men earned performance bonuses.
Garbrandt Responds To O’Malley’s Critique Of KO Win
A few days after UFC 250, O’Malley took to social media to express his belief that Garbrandt’s knockout wasn’t about technique and it was something you’d see in a bar fight. During an interview with TMZ Sports, Garbrandt responded to O’Malley critique.
“Mine was way better. Way vicious. My dude couldn’t get up. … Hats off to him. He did good, went out there and performed, got a knockout victory … but you can’t compare when you’re fighting the Top 5 in the world. [O’Malley has] never fought anybody in the Top 15, so that’s a huge difference when you’re able to starch people like that at each level.”
Garbrandt was able to snap his three-fight skid with the massive knockout win over Assuncao. Going into the bout, Garbrandt was the ninth-ranked UFC bantamweight while Assuncao held the fifth spot. “No Love’ found himself back in the top five once the rankings were updated. Garbrandt had plans to move down to the flyweight division but he’s halted that idea after the impressive win over Assuncao.
As for O’Malley, he’s looking to go from prospect to contender. Many believe O’Malley is ready for a ranked opponent. While fighting Garbrandt next seems like a stretch, the “Sugar” show has expressed confidence that he’d stop “No Love” if the two fought today. Up to this point, O’Malley has amassed a perfect 12-0 record.
Who do you think had the more impressive knockout, Cody Garbrandt, or Sean O’Malley?
