Joe Rogan Shocked After Fighter He Called ‘Future Champion’ Gets Knocked Out By Sean O’Malley

Sean O’Malley Has Left UFC Commentator Joe Rogan Shocked With His Cage Performances

Sean “Sugar” O’Malley, the former UFC bantamweight champion, has repeatedly stunned UFC color commentator Joe Rogan with his highlight-reel finishes. O’Malley’s path to winning gold at 135 pounds included devastating knockouts over top contenders like Aljamain Sterling, Eddie Wineland, Raulian Paiva, and Thomas Almeida—some of whom Rogan had previously identified as promising prospects.

O’Malley’s lone loss came in 2020 against Marlon Vera, a fight in which he suffered a rare condition known as drop foot. However, he bounced back quickly and resumed his winning streak. One standout moment came at UFC 260, held at the Apex Center, where O’Malley fought Thomas Almeida in a fight headlined by Francis Ngannou’s knockout of Stipe Miocic for the heavyweight title.

In the third round of the O’Malley vs. Almeida bout, O’Malley knocked down Almeida but initially walked away, expecting the referee to stop the fight. Rogan and Daniel Cormier were caught off guard by this, but O’Malley quickly followed up by smashing Almeida’s head into the mat, securing a definitive knockout finish and leaving commentators, including Rogan, wide-eyed.