The first half of 2024 went well for former bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley, as he successfully defended his title for the first time. However, as the year draws to a close, life has taken a drastic turn, something ‘Suga’ never anticipated. In this period, not only did he lose his belt and stardom, similar to Conor McGregor’s rise and fall, but he also suffered an injury leading up to the fight.

Afterward, O’Malley’s coach, Tim Welch, disclosed, “Suga is getting surgery on his hip labrum soon,” which Welch claims was the reason for his protégé’s loss. This statement was later criticized by several health experts, orthopedic doctors, and MMA veterans. The news also caught the attention of former two-weight champion Daniel Cormier, who couldn’t resist offering his opinion on Welch’s claims.

Daniel Cormier exposes Sean O’Malley

Since news broke about Sean O’Malley’s hip labrum injury, fans have expressed deep concern for the former champion. However, Daniel Cormier doesn’t share the same sentiment as the audience regarding whether the injury caused ‘Suga’ to lose the fight to Merab Dvalishvili at the historic UFC Sphere event. The Hall of Famer took up the topic with fellow UFC retiree Chael Sonnen on their ESPN podcast, ‘Good Guy/Bad Guy.’

Daniel Cormier was not buying what Sean O’Malley was selling. Why? Because of something he heard from Ben Askren. DC debunked O’Malley’s claims about his injury, focusing on Askren’s statement, “Ben Askren told me that when he went to get hip replaced, they told him he had a torn labrum in his hip as well, but it was the least of his concerns because he had so many other issues going on.

“So, to my understanding, while the hip labrum is painful, it isn’t something that would necessarily take you out of a fight.” Cormier further downplayed the severity of the injury, claiming that although surgery may be required, it doesn’t stop a fighter from competing.

‘Good Guy’s’ remarks might sound harsh out of context, but they reflect a practical and informed perspective, This sentiment was recently echoed by renowned sports orthopedic surgeon Dr. David Abbasi on his social media, where he further addressed Sean O’Malley’s claim about the role of his injury in losing his fight at UFC 306.

MMA doctor uncovers the truth behind O’Malley’s labral tears

Sean O’Malley’s injury put the former champion on hiatus for nearly a year as per his own admission. Recently, this question was posed to UFC head honcho Dana White, as rumors circulated claiming that ‘Suga’ was injured before his fight at UFC 306, leading to a performance that was not up to the expectations of fans. In response, White debunked these claims during a recent media faceoff.

Dr. David Abbasi then came forward on social media to raise awareness about the UFC star’s injury. Emphasizing the MRI scan of O’Malley, Dr. Abbasi stated, “The fact that there’s a labral tear in Sean O’Malley does not mean that he could not compete at a high level… I have seen very elite MMA fighters in the UFC currently with nasty cartilage injuries, meniscus tears, they are competing for the belt. So, if you wanna find something wrong, all you gotta do is MRI somebody… The fact that he competed and was not checked by doctors is ridiculous. He was just fine to compete and he did just fine.”

Prior to the fight, Henry Cejudo had claimed he had inside information about O’Malley not doing well against takedowns in his camp. Could it have been because of the injury? ‘Suga’ did not look his usual during the fight. His movement seemed limited and he was not throwing as many kicks as he usually does. Nevertheless, he did a decent enough job of getting back up to his feet any time he was taken down, as Cory Sandhagen recently pointed out.

What are your thoughts on Daniel Cormier’s claims regarding Sean O’Malley’s injury? Do you also believe that ‘Suga’ lost to Merab Dvalishvili because of his injury, or is it an excuse created by ‘Suga’ and his coach Tim Welch? Drop your opinion below.