Former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley is looking to get back in the cage earlier than initially forecast.
O'Malley looked set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines in the aftermath of his defeat to Merab Dvalishvili. "Suga" had his reign ended in convincing fashion at the Sphere-held UFC 306 (Noche UFC) event last month.
Following the setback, it was revealed that the American had fought through a torn labrum on the night and would require surgery. When detailing that, O'Malley suggested he could be out for as long as one year.
But after revised estimates put a potential comeback forward to the summer of 2025, O'Malley's hunger to return to winning ways now has him assessing a possible return in the very first quarter of next year.
O'Malley Targets UFC Return As Soon As March 2025
During a UFC 307 reaction video recently uploaded to his YouTube channel, O'Malley once again spoke about his situation having recently undergone surgery on his pre-fight injury.
"Suga" claimed to be feeling good following the procedure and is anticipating a quick return to physical activity.
Got surgery Thursday. Today is Saturday, it's been f*cking two days. I feel f*cking great. I'm gonna come back better than ever," O'Malley said. "I'll be back next week to sparring. No, I do think I am going to do everything right. I'm going to recover as fast as I possibly can, and I'm gonna get back. Everyone is like, 'Don't come back too soon.' I'm coming back the right amount of soon. I wanna be back ASAP.
I want to get these fights in while I'm still, you know, young enough. I turn 30 this month. I want to recover, do everything right, but I want to get back in there April, May, June latest," O'Malley continued. "I think I can be back before that. March even would be crazy, but who knows?
It remains to be seen what will await O'Malley inside the cage when he is ready to make the walk again.
While Dvalishvili has responded to "Suga's" post-fight antics by offering a rematch, it stands to reason that the Georgian will need to get past the undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov if that is to remain a possibility upon O'Malley's return.
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