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The UFC bantamweight champion has added another prestigious accolade to his growing collection. On Thursday night, the 2024 ESPY Awards, ESPY's annual celebration of sports excellence, crowned Sean O Malley as the Best MMA Fighter.
O'Malley triumphed over a formidable lineup of competitors, including light heavyweight champ Alex Pereira, lightweight titleholder Islam Makhachev, and strawweight champion Zhang Weili.
Since the beginning of 2023, O'Malley has made significant strides in his career. He captured the 135-pound world title with a stunning second-round knockout of Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292 in Boston last August. Demonstrating his prowess further, O’Malley headlined UFC 299 in Miami this March, dominating his rival Marlon Vera in a five-round rematch to secure his first successful title defense.
Currently, the anticipation builds for O'Malley's next bout, though his second title defense has yet to be scheduled. The rising star is expected to face Merab Dvalishvili, a contender on an impressive winning streak.
O’Malley's victory at the ESPYs places him among an elite group of fighters honored with the Best MMA Fighter award. He joins the ranks of Jon Jones, who won in 2023, as well as past winners such as Charles Oliveira, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Daniel Cormier. It's noteworthy that before 2019, MMA fighters competed in the Best Fighter category alongside boxers before receiving their dedicated category.
Other illustrious names who have won the Best Fighter ESPY award in the past include Demetrious Johnson, Conor McGregor, and Ronda Rousey.
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