Tag: Tim Welch

Sean O’Malley’s Coach On Henry Cejudo: ‘Thinks He’s God’s Gift…’ 

Suffice to say, UFC Bantamweight Champion Sean O’Malley and his team haven’t sought the aid of Henry Cejudo ahead of their upcoming showdown with Merab Dvalishvili… O’Malley is set to make his second defense of the title later this month inside the unique surroundings of the Sphere in Las Vegas, where he’ll headline the second […]

Continue Reading Sean O’Malley’s Coach On Henry Cejudo: ‘Thinks He’s God’s Gift…’  at MMA News.

Suffice to say, UFC Bantamweight Champion Sean O’Malley and his team haven’t sought the aid of Henry Cejudo ahead of their upcoming showdown with Merab Dvalishvili…

O’Malley is set to make his second defense of the title later this month inside the unique surroundings of the Sphere in Las Vegas, where he’ll headline the second edition of Noche UFC six months on from his five-round beatdown of Marlon “Chito” Vera.

Next looking to unseat “Sugar” is Dvalishvili, an in-form Georgian who has won 10 straight to earn his long-awaited first opportunity at UFC gold.

“The Machine’s” path to the top has included memorable performances against the likes of Marlon Moraes and Petr Yan, but he perhaps saved his best for last when he squared off against a former simultaneous two-division champ at UFC 298 this past February. Dvalishvili collided with Cejudo on the main card in Anaheim, further stalling “Triple C’s” pursuit of regaining the belt with a comfortable victory on the scorecards.

While that left Cejudo with 15 minutes experience of what the Georgian contender brings to the Octagon, O’Malley’s team doesn’t believe he could offer them any advice of value in the lead-up to September 14.

O’Malley’s Coach Not Interested In Tips From Ex-Dvalishvili Opponent Cejudo

During a recent interview for Bodog Canada, coach Tim Welch looked ahead to his man’s second assignment of 2024, which is currently set to see O’Malley’s challenger make the walk as the favorite.

But while Welch and co. no doubt have plenty of ways in mind to combat Dvalishvili’s perceived edge in certain realms, picking the brain of an ex-bantamweight and flyweight titleholder, Fight Ready coach, and former opponent of the Georgian’s is not one of them.

“I don’t know if that (talking to Cejudo) would help,” Welch said. “Everyone I’ve talked to that tried to talk to Henry, even coaches, they have a tough time working with Henry because he thinks he’s god’s gift to this green Earth, and you can’t teach him nothing, and his way is the way. But clearly it’s not, because Merab ragdolled him. So that’s definitely not the guy we want tips from.”

O’Malley will look to do a better job at stifling Dvalishvili’s offense than Cejudo did come fight night at Las Vegas’ Sphere in less than two weeks’ time.

The pair’s bantamweight championship clash will top a lineup that also includes another title bout, with flyweight queen Alexa Grasso and all-time great Valentina Shevchenko set to complete their trilogy in the co-main event.

Continue Reading Sean O’Malley’s Coach On Henry Cejudo: ‘Thinks He’s God’s Gift…’  at MMA News.

Sean O’Malley’s Coach On Henry Cejudo: ‘Thinks He’s God’s Gift…’ 

Suffice to say, UFC Bantamweight Champion Sean O’Malley and his team haven’t sought the aid of Henry Cejudo ahead of their upcoming showdown with Merab Dvalishvili… O’Malley is set to make his second defense of the title later this month inside the unique surroundings of the Sphere in Las Vegas, where he’ll headline the second […]

Continue Reading Sean O’Malley’s Coach On Henry Cejudo: ‘Thinks He’s God’s Gift…’  at MMA News.

Suffice to say, UFC Bantamweight Champion Sean O’Malley and his team haven’t sought the aid of Henry Cejudo ahead of their upcoming showdown with Merab Dvalishvili…

O’Malley is set to make his second defense of the title later this month inside the unique surroundings of the Sphere in Las Vegas, where he’ll headline the second edition of Noche UFC six months on from his five-round beatdown of Marlon “Chito” Vera.

Next looking to unseat “Sugar” is Dvalishvili, an in-form Georgian who has won 10 straight to earn his long-awaited first opportunity at UFC gold.

“The Machine’s” path to the top has included memorable performances against the likes of Marlon Moraes and Petr Yan, but he perhaps saved his best for last when he squared off against a former simultaneous two-division champ at UFC 298 this past February. Dvalishvili collided with Cejudo on the main card in Anaheim, further stalling “Triple C’s” pursuit of regaining the belt with a comfortable victory on the scorecards.

While that left Cejudo with 15 minutes experience of what the Georgian contender brings to the Octagon, O’Malley’s team doesn’t believe he could offer them any advice of value in the lead-up to September 14.

O’Malley’s Coach Not Interested In Tips From Ex-Dvalishvili Opponent Cejudo

During a recent interview for Bodog Canada, coach Tim Welch looked ahead to his man’s second assignment of 2024, which is currently set to see O’Malley’s challenger make the walk as the favorite.

But while Welch and co. no doubt have plenty of ways in mind to combat Dvalishvili’s perceived edge in certain realms, picking the brain of an ex-bantamweight and flyweight titleholder, Fight Ready coach, and former opponent of the Georgian’s is not one of them.

“I don’t know if that (talking to Cejudo) would help,” Welch said. “Everyone I’ve talked to that tried to talk to Henry, even coaches, they have a tough time working with Henry because he thinks he’s god’s gift to this green Earth, and you can’t teach him nothing, and his way is the way. But clearly it’s not, because Merab ragdolled him. So that’s definitely not the guy we want tips from.”

O’Malley will look to do a better job at stifling Dvalishvili’s offense than Cejudo did come fight night at Las Vegas’ Sphere in less than two weeks’ time.

The pair’s bantamweight championship clash will top a lineup that also includes another title bout, with flyweight queen Alexa Grasso and all-time great Valentina Shevchenko set to complete their trilogy in the co-main event.

Continue Reading Sean O’Malley’s Coach On Henry Cejudo: ‘Thinks He’s God’s Gift…’  at MMA News.

Merab Dvalishvili calls out Sean O’Malley’s coach Tim Welch: ‘He’s a snake person’

Merab Dvalishvili calls out Sean O’Malley’s coach Tim Welch: 'He's a snake person'Rekindling his rivalry with incoming foe, Sean O’Malley as well as his head coach, Tim Welch, surging bantamweight contender,…

Merab Dvalishvili calls out Sean O’Malley’s coach Tim Welch: 'He's a snake person'

Rekindling his rivalry with incoming foe, Sean O’Malley as well as his head coach, Tim Welch, surging bantamweight contender, Merab Dvalishvili has hit out at the trainer – branding him a “snake” ahead of his return next month.

Dvalishvili, the current number one ranked bantamweight contender, is slated to return to action next month in the main event of Noche UFC, challenging O’Malley for the undisputed divisional crown at the Las Vegas Sphere. 

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In the midst of an impressive winning spree, Tbilisi native, Dvalishvili turned in a dominant unanimous decision win over former two-weight champion, Henry Cejudo at UFC 298 back in February in Anaheim, earning a well-overdue first title fight inside the Octagon.

Merab Dvalishvili Killed Myself Lost Petr Yan UFC
Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy – USA TODAY Sports

However, ahead of the pairing, Dvalishvili and O’Malley clashed over the incumbent’s head coach, Welch – with the champion urging the challenger to take his issues with the trainer up with him rather than himself ahead of Noche UFC.

Merab Dvalishvili continues his spat with head coach, Tim Welch

And reigniting their rivalry ahead of the matchup, Dvalishvili called Welch a “snake” of a person – setting the stage for another spat between the two.

Sean O'Malley wins ESPY award Best UFC Fighter of 2024 beats Alex Pereira and Islam Makhachev

“I have a problem with his (Sean O’Malley’s) coach, Tim (Welch),” Merab Dvalishvili told MMA Fighting. “He was very disrespectful to me and he was doing stupid and not respectful things. Any real coach should never do that, whatever he was doing. Try do the same thing in basketball or let’s try to do the same thing in a football game. They will give you a disqualification.”

“Only in the UFC can you get out of this,” Merab Dvalishvili explained. “Coach your guy, coach your fighter. Don’t be disrespectful to the opponent. What kind of people does this? Only a snake person does this.”

Who do you think wins at Noche UFC: Sean O’Malley or Merab Dvalishvili?

Sean O’Malley’s Coach Talks Souring Of Relationship With Conor McGregor: ‘Before Going To The Arena, We’d Put On Conor Highlights…’

Sean O’Malley’s coach, Tim Welch, recently affirmed that despite their fallout, they still hold Conor McGregor in high regard. For years, McGregor and O’Malley have shared a good rappot with one another. However, recent months have seen this camaraderie deteriorate as the two UFC stars find themselves entangled in a growing feud on social media. […]

Continue Reading Sean O’Malley’s Coach Talks Souring Of Relationship With Conor McGregor: ‘Before Going To The Arena, We’d Put On Conor Highlights…’ at MMA News.

Sean O’Malley’s coach, Tim Welch, recently affirmed that despite their fallout, they still hold Conor McGregor in high regard.

For years, McGregor and O’Malley have shared a good rappot with one another. However, recent months have seen this camaraderie deteriorate as the two UFC stars find themselves entangled in a growing feud on social media.

It all began in May, when “The Notorious” erupted on social media, launching a tirade against boxer Ryan Garcia after he tested positive for the banned substance ostarine following his victory over Devin Haney.

In the midst of his outburst, McGregor took a swipe at O’Malley, lumping him together with Garcia due to the reigning UFC bantamweight champion’s own positive test for ostarine back in 2019.

There was a time when “Suga” revered and emulated McGregor, even seemingly adopting his flashy persona from the iconic Irishman. However, after “The Notorious” took jabs at him, that admiration seems to have faded. Last month, O’Malley unleashed a scathing critique of his former idol’s fighting skills in a series of blistering social media posts.

However, Welch maintains that regardless of the current discord, he and O’Malley still deeply respect McGregor, recognizing the significant legacy he has left in the realm of MMA…

Welch Finds Friction With McGregor ‘A Little Weird’

During a recent interview with Submission Radio, Welch shared his perspective on the ongoing social media rift between O’Malley and McGregor. The MMA coach revealed that “Suga” used to be McGregor’s biggest admirer, and now witnessing their camaraderie diminish feels surreal to him.

“I mean, we still respect him. Literally, Sean was his number one fan,” Welch said. “Before going to the arena, we’d put on Conor highlights because he’s been in so many high-pressure moments. He’s good at staying calm, he’s good at staying present, and he’s a good finisher. So yeah, we have respect for him, but it’s definitely a little weird.”

Welch further commented on the hypothetical matchup with “The Notorious” that O’Malley had previously mentioned, stating that it would be a formidable challenge for his protégé.

“The only way it’d be possible is if they fought at 155 pounds, and I mean, that’s a scary fight. Conor is huge, he’s explosive, he’s quick, and he’s got good reaction time. But right now, Sean is in his prime. His confidence is so high, he switches stances, and his fight IQ is so high. So to say there’s no way we’d win that fight is stupid. There are definitely ways we could win it, but obviously, it’s a dangerous fight. He’s huge for Sean.”

Continue Reading Sean O’Malley’s Coach Talks Souring Of Relationship With Conor McGregor: ‘Before Going To The Arena, We’d Put On Conor Highlights…’ at MMA News.

Sean O’Malley coach Tim Welch reveals why referee warned him during UFC 292 headliner

O'MalleyMoments before Sean O’Malley delivered a perfectly timed counter right hand that made him a world champion, his coach, Tim Welch, was given a stern warning by referee Marc Goddard. ‘Sugar’ scored the biggest win of his mixed martial arts career on August 19, landing a highlight-reel-worthy knockout against Aljamain Sterling in the second round […]

O'Malley

Moments before Sean O’Malley delivered a perfectly timed counter right hand that made him a world champion, his coach, Tim Welch, was given a stern warning by referee Marc Goddard.

‘Sugar’ scored the biggest win of his mixed martial arts career on August 19, landing a highlight-reel-worthy knockout against Aljamain Sterling in the second round of their UFC 292 headliner. But moments before the epic knockout blow landed, O’Malley’s longtime coach and podcast partner, Tim Welch was reprimanded by the presiding referee.

Many fans were left confused as to what Welch was doing off-camera that garnered the referee’s attention, but in a recent MiddleEasy exclusive interview with James Lynch, Welch revealed the reason.

“I just was talking to Aljo, because I knew in Aljo’s last three fights, he pressures people until they kick,” Welch said. “And when they kick, he catches the kick and runs them into the fence. Cory Sandhagen, TJ Dillashaw, some of his fights he does that.

I just wanted to remind him of Marlon Moraes… a ‘Marlon Moraes’ is coming, I wanted to do something to hesitate him from coming forward so hard and taking such shots. I wanted to freeze him up a little bit. It might’ve been worth it, might not have, but [Marc Goddard] was just saying ‘Don’t talk to Aljo’” (h/t MMA News).

Maybe it worked. Maybe it didn’t. But we all know what happened roughly 60 seconds later.

Fresh off his big title win, Sean O’Malley is already looking toward his first UFC title defense. Determined to return to the Octagon in December for UFC 296, ‘Sugar’ has his sights set on a clash with the only man to defeat him under the UFC banner, Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera. No official announcements have been made as O’Malley is currently nursing a rib injury sustained during the UFC 292 main event, but all signs currently point to O’Malley vs. ‘Chito’ running it back later this year.

Jared Cannonier picked to beat Khamzat Chimaev after record setting win: ‘I think over five rounds, he f*cks him up’

Jared Cannonier picked to beat Khamzat Chimaev I think he f*cks him up UFCWhilst initially shutting down the prospect of a matchup with the undefeated welterweight, Khamzat Chimaev following his record-setting UFC Vegad 75 victory over the course of last weekend, Jared Cannonier has been backed to hand the Chechen his first-ever professional loss, by head coach, Tim Welch. Cannonier, who improved to 2-0 since he unsuccessfully challenged […]

Jared Cannonier picked to beat Khamzat Chimaev I think he f*cks him up UFC

Whilst initially shutting down the prospect of a matchup with the undefeated welterweight, Khamzat Chimaev following his record-setting UFC Vegad 75 victory over the course of last weekend, Jared Cannonier has been backed to hand the Chechen his first-ever professional loss, by head coach, Tim Welch.

Cannonier, who improved to 2-0 since he unsuccessfully challenged for middleweight gold back in July of last year during International Fight Week, turned in a dominant unanimous decision victory against fellow one-time title chaser, Marvin Vettori at the UFC Apex facility.

The Dallas native had previously returned to the winner’s enclosure back in December of last year in a main event fight against Sean Strickland, defeating the perennial contender in a close, debated split decision triumph. 

Weighing up the prospect of fighting Chimaev next – with the AllStars MMA staple expected to make a move to the middleweight limit for his Octagon return, Cannonier claimed he would only entertain a bout if he was guaranteed a title tilt with a victory.

“Does that fight [with Khamzat Chimaev] give me a title shot?” Jared Cannonier after UFC Vegas 75. “I don’t know, he’s not even ranked in middleweight. So, I mean, I know he’s popular. Everybody wants to see him do his thing and stuff like that. If they call me and say, ‘Hey, how’s that for contenders match?’ That’s a yes.”

“I’m trying to get to the title,” Jared Cannonier explained. “I’m not just fighting to entertain you people. You know what I mean? I know you guys want to see it. I know it will be a good fight. If that fights get me the title shot, yes. I just beat number three. I’m not looking back. I’m looking forward. I’m looking at the champion, So if Dana (White) and Hunter (Campbell) say he’s between you and a champion, then that’s something we can talk about. But if you saying would you fight Khamzat and welcome him in the division, I’m like, does that give me to the title? That’s the question I’d have for you.” 

Jared Cannonier backed to bring stern challenge to Khamzat Chimaev

However, according to Welch – who prominently trains incoming UFC 292 headliner and bantamweight contender, Sean O’Malley, Cannonier would likely *f*ck” Chimaev up if they ever shared the Octagon.

“Dude, him (Jared Cannonier) breaking the record, that much output from a big guy like that is f*cking next level,” Welch said on the TimboSugarShow podcast. “That much output, five rounds. I mean, who does he go against next? Someone was asking about Khamzat (Chimaev).

“He wants whatever’s gonna give him the title,” Welch explained. “But that would be f*cking sick. I think, [over] five rounds, Jared f*cks him up.” (Transcribed by MMA News)