Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway are fighting in Abu Dhabi this October. It is a highly anticipated matchup with the UFC featherweight title on the line. That makes it a fight of interest for bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley who was previously set on achieving double champion status. But who would Sean O’Malley fight between the two? His head coach Tim Welch has the answer.
Tim Welch and professional bare-knuckle boxer, Joe Riggs recently sat down for a conversation on Welch’s YouTube channel. During their discussion, Riggs asked who between Max Holloway and Ilia Topuria, would Welch put Sean O’Malley against. He picked UFC featherweight champion, Ilia Topuria.
Topuria, after seeing that. I just think it’s, people are like you f*****g idiot. I’m like, it’s a winnable fight. I just truly do believe it is.
Tim Welch on his YouTube channel
Riggs agreed saying he would never bet against former champion Max Holloway. Welch had previously addressed this controversial decision during an appearance on The MMA Hour. He talked about how Ilia Topuria’s rigid, wide boxing stance might create opportunities for O’Malley in a potential matchup. Topuria as a skilled orthodox boxer, tends to rely on a very linear stance.
According to Welch, this type of stance is something the bantamweight champion has frequently faced throughout his career. He also mentioned the flat-footedness in Topuria’s stance could make him more vulnerable to O’Malley’s unorthodox striking and mobility. Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway are set to headline UFC 308. It will be interesting to see a crossover matchup from either party against Sean O’Malley soon.
Topuria has earlier mentioned aspirations of being a two-division champion and so has O’Malley. Therefore, a tussle between them is more than likely. In fact, O’Malley has also expressed a desire to become a 3 belt champion. In this scenario, he expects Holloway to fight Topuria with his BMF title on the line. Eventually, O’Malley would face the winner and take him out to become the 1st 3 belt champion in the history of the UFC.
Sean O’Malley’s coach reveals unorthodox training for UFC 306 showdown against Merab Dvalishvili
Tim Welch has been preparing Sean O’Malley for his highly anticipated fight against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306. Welch revealed that they are working on a unique and somewhat unconventional strategy designed to exploit Dvalishvili’s weaknesses and catch him off-guard.
Sean O’Malley’s unconventional preparation for UFC 306 (Image via Imago)The plan centers around a deep analysis of what Dvalishvili tends to do, specifically his timing and reactions when facing opponents in different stances. Talking about it on The Brendan Schitty show, Welch mentioned that they have been using detailed breakdowns of Dvalishvili’s fights, turning them into visual cues like GIFs for O’Malley to study.
We have TJ, the blue belt at the gym, who does these in-depth breakdowns of each opponents. He did it for Petr Yan, Aljo, Cheeto, and Merab. I tell him, ‘I want to know where Merab’s head is at. Anytime someone stands orthodox, what dose does he shoot on?
Tim Welch on The Brendan Schitty show
Despite Dvalishvili being an “absolute animal” in terms of his cardio and relentless pressure, Team O’Malley believes this creative approach will give him an edge. This fight is pivotal for O’Malley, as defeating Dvalishvili would solidify his position as the bantamweight champion, while also proving his critics wrong. The fight is scheduled for later this month at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada.
!
