UFC champ Sean O’Malley ‘would beat a lot of pro boxers’

Teddy Atlas had very high praise for Sean O’Malley after UFC 299.

Bantamweight champion O’Malley (18-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) notched his first title defense when he battered Marlon Vera for five rounds this past Saturday at UFC 299.

O’Malley has mentioned crossing over to boxing numerous times, calling out the likes of Gervonta Davis, and recently going back-and-forth with Ryan Garcia. Legendary boxing trainer Atlas went as far as saying O’Malley could get the best of many professional boxers.

“I’m not going to call him a striker. I think he would beat a lot of pro fighters,” Atlas said on THE FIGHT with Teddy Atlas. “He would beat a lot of pro boxers – he’s that good at boxing. His legs are that good. His striking ability, his combinations are that technically sound and that pure. His hands are that fast. His ring IQ is that high.

“His vision is that clear – he sees everything, and he’s a tremendous counter puncher, a pure counter puncher. … He’s got a long jab, and he uses that long jab to set up punches. He knows range really well. He controls range really well – not only with his feet, but even with getting full length on his punches. He gets full extension.”

Atlas also saw a lot of improvements in O’Malley’s game, referencing a quote he often likes to use to describe his performance.

“Cus D’Amato told me, ‘Teddy, when a guy wins the title, he automatically becomes 30 percent better,’” Atlas said. “You know what? That’s scary because O’Malley looked 30 percent (better) – that much more solid, that much more consistent, that much more together. He has improved.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.