UFC welterweight contender Michael "Venom" Page believes Sean O'Malley failed to capitalize on an opening at the end of his recent title loss.
O'Malley saw his reign as bantamweight kingpin come to an emphatic end at this past weekend's UFC 306 (Noche UFC) pay-per-view, which he headlined alongside Merab Dvalishvili inside Las Vegas' Sphere.
Having unseated Aljamain Sterling from the throne last year and dominated Marlon Vera in his first defense this past March, "Suga" was unable to repeat the feat against "The Machine," who put in a dominant performance across five rounds to take the decision.
While predictions of a Dvalishvili win were common in the lead-up, many appeared to expect a more competitive display from O'Malley. And one of his UFC peers thinks he let opportunities to change the tide in the fight slip by.
During a video recently uploaded to his YouTube channel, Page reacted to the two championship headliners that went down inside the Sphere in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
The former Bellator title challenger and current UFC welterweight contender broke down the action, paying particularly close attention to how O'Malley approached things in his favored realm on the feet.
"MVP" shared plenty of advice that might have been useful to the defending champ throughout the bout's duration, but he appeared especially puzzled by what he witnessed after O'Malley hurt Dvalishvili to the body late on in the final round.
He should be tagging his leg even now. Tag his leg, land a jab, tag his body, land a jab," Page said while watching O'Malley's work in round five. "You can't just do one (attack), you've got to go again! I think he's just too tired. ... Teep him, kick him. Now hands as well, you need to mix it all up.
Look, how do you throw one shot and then let him move?! It don't make sense," Page continued, just before O'Malley hurt Dvalishvili to the body. "Oh! No! Why would you do that (spinning kick)! ... Yes, go again, go again. Look, (Dvalishvili's) desperate now. This is where he was gonna catch him but I think he's left it too late. ... What are you doing, man?! Bro, you've got to have a bit more killer instinct, man.
While those close to O'Malley suggested he looked off, "Suga" has dismissed any and all excuses and simply admitted he was beaten on the night.
He'll now focus on his recovery as he looks toward surgery on a torn labrum in the coming weeks. Beyond that, the now-former champ seems to be targeting a comeback in the second half of 2025.
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