Three months later, O’Malley was back at UFC 250: Nunes vs Spencer facing UFC veteran Eddie Wineland, who debuted in 2011. If getting a TKO finish in just over two minutes wasn’t sweet enough for “Sugar,” then a walk out KO against Wineland in under two minutes was sure to do the trick.
Faking an uppercut and coming over the top with a devastating right hand, O’Malley was already on his way to his corner before the referee could wave his arms to stop the fight. It was his first performance inside the Octagon that showed his power can finish UFC caliber athletes and he has the potential to be an elite fighter in the bantamweight division.
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O’Malley suffered his first loss two months later at UFC 252: Miocic vs. Cormier 3, his third fight in five months. Injured in his right ankle minutes into his fight against Marlon Vera, O’Malley finally fell to the ground after slipping from the injury. Heavy elbows from “Chito’s” top position and the obvious leg injury forced a stoppage from the referee.
After dealing with injuries in the past, O’Malley was no stranger to taking a needed break and returning in good health. His comeback fight seven months later against Thomas Almeida proved that injuries and time off do not influence his skills and ability to perform under the lights.
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In the first round, ‘Sugar’ thought he deserved another win, dropping Almeida with a left hook after a clinical opener, and he turned away as if the referee was going to intervene. But the fight resumed and Almeida moved to his feet and continued to trade punches.