Sean O’Malley finds himself embroiled in an unexpected feud with Alexandre Pantoja during UFC 301 fight week, fueled by past sparring session rumors and social media exchanges.
Pantoja resurrected rumors of a private sparring session with O’Malley, claiming dominance during the rounds as he campaigned for a shot at a dual championship status. However, ‘Suga’ vehemently refuted these claims.
To support O’Malley’s stance, head coach Tim Welch shared his perspective on his YouTube channel, recounting an incident where O’Malley allegedly knocked down Pantoja during a spar facilitated by Henry Cejudo. Welch, although not present during the session, relayed O’Malley’s version of events, highlighting a body shot that purportedly led Pantoja to request an end to the round. Welch hinted at potential footage of the incident, pending Pantoja’s future statements.
O’Malley further escalated the dispute on social media, addressing Pantoja as ‘Pantoe’ and teasing the release of sparring footage from six years ago.
Despite the controversy, Pantoja has not actively pursued a bantamweight title shot, focusing instead on defending his flyweight title against Steve Erceg. On the other hand, O’Malley has expressed interest in moving up to featherweight for a title bid against Ilia Topuria, despite limited wins against top-10 bantamweight contenders.
Pantoe Keeps bringing up the sparring from like 6 years ago, Not me. Should I post or no?
— Sean O'Malley (@SugaSeanMMA) May 1, 2024
The tension between O’Malley and Pantoja adds an intriguing subplot to the UFC 301 narrative, blending personal rivalry with professional aspirations in the competitive MMA terrain.
