According to legendary boxing trainer Teddy Atlas, UFC Bantamweight Champion Sean O'Malley could compete with the best in boxing.
O'Malley's hands were on full display during his rise to prominence on mixed martial arts' biggest stage. After a memorable knockout on Dana White's Contender Series to earn a contract, a further five foes were stopped with strikes before "Sugar" found himself challenging for gold last year.
And the Montana native took full advantage of the opportunity, using his slick counterstriking to finish Aljamain Sterling in the second round of their pay-per-view main event in Boston.
As he continues to stake his claim for the 'best boxer in MMA' crown, O'Malley has frequently touched on the possibility of a venture to the ring down the line, notably targeting WBA lightweight titleholder Gervonta Davis.
While he thinks that might mark the UFC star biting off more than he can chew, Atlas does agree that success awaits O'Malley in the punching-only realm...
Atlas: O'Malley Has The Abilities Of 'A Pure Boxer'
During a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Atlas acknowledged O'Malley's boxing ambitions ahead of the bantamweight kingpin's second title defense this weekend in Las Vegas.
The renowned boxing coach and analyst highlighted the skills that would make "Sugar" a formidable foe inside the ring, even going as far as to compare his striking talent to that of a "pure boxer."
He can cross over because he has the instinct, the talent, the abilities of a boxer, a pure boxer," Atlas said. "He’s got the legs. He’s got the eyes. He sees things real good. He’s got long arms. He’s got quick hands. He’s versatile, and he can use the ring and move around and get angles. He can set traps. He’s a great, great natural counterpuncher. If you wait in front of him, he gets out first and puts punches together – smart and educated punches. Smart combinations, up and down. Tricking combinations. They’re advanced combinations, they’re not primitive combinations. They’re not just basic combinations, they’re combinations of a top fighter.
If you walked into a room, and he was on TV and you wouldn’t see that he’s not wearing shoes, and you saw him strike, you might think you’re watching a boxing match," Atlas continued. "He’s that smooth. He’s that natural with it, that comfortable with it. He controls range and distance beautifully, and he can punch. He gets good power. Wiry guys usually can’t get good power.
And while he's not sure O'Malley could get the better of a well-rounded boxer like Davis, he wouldn't rule the UFC champ out if he were to turn his sights to other names like Ryan Garcia.
I’m not knocking him, but I wouldn’t take 'Tank' Davis. I’m not saying the other guy is a walk in the park at all. Obviously, not at all. But I’d take Garcia because 'Tank' Davis, to me, is the more well-rounded fighter," Atlas stated. "There are more things to worry about. He can punch. He can counterpunch. He can get you. There are so many facets to his game, and he’s so consistent. Garcia hasn’t shown us that can be consistent.
For now, O'Malley's focus remains on the cage, inside of which he'll look to make another emphatic statement with his fists on Saturday night when he faces the threat posed by Merab Dvalishvili.
The pair are set to headline Noche UFC, the promotion's second annual celebration of Mexican Independence Day, inside the unique surroundings of the Sphere in Las Vegas.
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