Sean O’Malley Drops Timeline for UFC Return after Losing Title

Henry Cejudo might have to move on with his career after this bit of news from Sean O'Malley.

Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

"Suga" is taking his sweet time when it comes to fighting again.

Sean O'Malley fought three times in a little more than a year, most recently at Sphere against stylistic nightmare Merab Dvalishvili. Many had thought O'Malley would shine in the striking department, but Dvalishvili proved to be hard to hit and harder to defend takedowns from across five rounds in the UFC 306 headliner.

No longer the UFC Bantamweight Champion after a unanimous decision loss to Dvalishvili, O'Malley goes back to being a top contender with a handful of options for his return fight. Though, that's not to say O'Malley is looking to make a quick turnaround...

Former UFC Champion Sean O'Malley. / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Top Contender Calls Out Sean O’Malley after Merab Dvalishvili Loss

"The Suga Show" Is Taking A Commercial Break

While others are gunning to take his place in the rankings, the 29-year-old is planning on taking a "full-on break" from competition, focusing on his health without an opponent in front of him.

O'Malley's hiatus, however, might be more than what you'd expect from one of the UFC's biggest active stars.

"I probably won’t fight for 9 months, 10 months, maybe a year," O'Malley said on his YouTube channel. "It’s going to be a while. People are gonna have to watch the UFC without the 'Suga Show' for a little bit."

Former UFC Champion Sean O'Malley. / Craig Kidwell-Imagn Images

"Then, maybe they'll realize, ah f***, we had it. It was fun..." O'Malley said of the fans missing his so-called 'Suga Era'.

A former champion and old foe of O'Malley's, Petr Yan had declared "rematch season is open, so see you soon," but the answer is not so soon with O'Malley taking a break over an extended period of time.

I never considered Sean a real champion because he was gifted decision against me in Abu Dhabi. Rematch season is open, so see you soon 👊🏼

— Petr “No Mercy” Yan (@PetrYanUFC) September 15, 2024

Another Champ Wants O'Malley Next, But Not Here To Waste Time

Where does that leave Henry Cejudo, someone else who has called for O'Malley on multiple occasions? Well, the former two-division champion recently made it clear that his sights are still very much on "Suga" at 135lbs - if not him, then no one else at all.

"Sean O'Methly got his a** kicked for five rounds and I can't wait to get him next," Cejudo said on Pound 4 Pound (h/t: Home of Fight).

"If Sean O'Malley is willing and wants to fight this troll who's the true king of Arizona, then well then here I am. But if not, I'm making my way back down to a 125 pounds, man. Because I'm not gonna waste my time with the freaking c**k. But if he wants to do it, I would love to do it. Dana White, let's make that fight happen."

⚡️Henry Cejudo calls out Sean O’Malley and confirms if O’Malley doesn’t accept he’ll move down to 125 lbs.

🎥 @pound4poundshow ▫️ pic.twitter.com/xpaxJzRUUQ

— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) September 16, 2024

With O'Malley's timeline presumably different from his own, Cejudo's future looks like it's going to be in the flyweight division, the weight class in which he won gold from Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson in 2017 and then defended it the following year against bantamweight champ TJ Dillashaw, TKO'ing him in a mere 32 seconds.

Former UFC Champion Henry Cejudo fighting current champ Merab Dvalishvil. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Getting down to 125lbs won't be easy for the 37-year-old Cejudo, but it's nothing discipline and diet can't fix if O'Malley's words prove to be true.

Henry Cejudo Teases Major Career Move, Potential Fight with Former UFC Champion

If O'Malley decides against a long layoff, however... "Triple C will murder [O'Malley] even worse than what Merab did to him," Cejudo added.

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