UFC 280 fighter Sean OMalley burst onto the scene with brutal knockout that made rap legend Snoop

UFC bantamweight contender Sean O’Malley was the first star to emerge from Dana White’s Contender Series.

After years of building his roster through the Ultimate Fighter - a reality TV series - the UFC boss decided to try something a bit different in 2017 and it worked like a charm.

White pitted the best free agents against each other in a show where it was not enough just to win, you had to impress White who got the last call on who gets signed.

Big names such as Greg Hardy, Jamahal Hill, Johnny Walker, Cory McKenna and one-time flyweight title challenger Alex Perez all earned UFC contracts on DWCS.

However, no one has quite been able to outdo O’Malley who appeared on the show five years ago looking to earn his way into MMA’s premier promotion.

‘Suga’ was a skinny guy, with curly hair – certainly not your typical fighter – and he didn’t have things all his own way when he fought Alfred Khashakyan at the UFC APEX.

O’Malley, who was 22 years old at the time, spent a lot of his DWCS fight on his back defending against wrestling attacks and when the fight was on the feet, he was taking big shots.

However, his striking ability was immediately obvious, and it was clear he was trying to score a highlight-reel knockout to impress White and rap legend Snoop Dogg who provided alternative commentary for the show alongside MMA legend Urijah Faber when it first started.

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With just over two minutes left in the first round, O’Malley landed a monstrous right hand that sat his opponent down before trying to close the show with a wild flying knee attempt.

The 16-time Grammy nominee began to lose his mind on the commentary desk, repeatedly shouting ‘O’Malley’ and comparing the young prospect who was trying to close the show to rap star ‘Lil Dicky’.

In the end, O’Malley finished his opponent with a huge straight right, prompting a stunned reaction from White who seemed to quickly realise he had a new star on his hands.

Snoop continued to hysterically shout O’Malley’s name down the mic before adding: "Give that boy a contract! Welcome to the motherf***ing UFC, O’Malley. I told you motherf***ers that afro was gonna get it!"

Since earning his UFC contract five years ago, O’Malley has become one of the most recognisable faces in MMA due to his wild fashion sense and ever-changing hairstyles.

The 27-year-old has also made his way into title contention at 135lbs picking up seven wins to earn a fight with former bantamweight champion Petr Yan at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi on Saturday night.

O’Malley suffered his first and only career loss against Marlon Vera back in 2020 but he still sees himself as undefeated because the quick TKO defeat he suffered was preceded by a foot injury.

After that, he picked up three knockout wins before stepping up his opposition last time out and facing long-time contender Pedro Munhoz.

However, the fight ended inconclusively in the second round after the Brazilian fighter absorbed an accidental eye poke and was unable to continue, meaning the fight was declared a no-contest.

Despite the fact he didn’t get the win last time out, O’Malley is just one fight away from getting a shot at the UFC bantamweight title which will be on the line when Aljamain Sterling faces TJ Dillashaw this weekend in the UFC 280 co-main event.

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