Sean O’Malley Considered Retirement Before UFC 324 Win Over Song Yadong
Sean O’Malley revealed he contemplated retirement prior to his split decision victory over Song Yadong at UFC 324. He admitted the possibility of hanging up his gloves crossed his mind, notably if he suffered a third consecutive loss.
“Realistically you never know,” O’Malley said, as reported by Bloody Elbow. “If I would have lost, I’d be like these weight cuts suck, ‘F’ this.”
O’Malley elaborated, stating that while he wasn’t certain he would retire, it was a viable option given his agreeable life outside of fighting. “I don’t know if I would have been like that but it’s possible. I’m going to retire when I feel like OK, it’s time.If I would have lost,it could have been (my final fight). I have such a good life back home, I could have just been like you know what (it’s time).”
The bantamweight champion confessed the thought was unsettling. “That was a scary thought going into this fight that I even had that thought in my mind,” he continued. “Because it’s like, how bad do I realy want this?”
O’Malley ultimately secured the split decision win over Yadong on April 13, 2024, at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, retaining his UFC Bantamweight Championship. He has since stated he wishes he had done one thing differently during the fight after rewatching the footage.