Sean O'Malley may retire soon, explains former UFC champion.

Sean O'Malley may retire soon. Photo: Reproduction/YouTube

Sean O'Malley is considering retiring from MMA. At 31 years old, O'Malley has big plans for 2026 and opened up in a YouTube conversation about his next steps in life. At the end of this month, Sean returns to the octagon to face... song yadong No. UFC 324.

It's an important fight for Sean O'Malley, former bantamweight champion (up to 61,2 kg), who is currently coming off two consecutive losses, but despite this, 'Suga' isn't solely focused on the fight. O'Malley has his sights set on... Petr yan.

He has a history with the bantamweight champion. O'Malley defeated Yan by split decision in 2022, earning his first title shot, and now that Petr has regained the belt, Sean believes he is just one win away from having a chance to reclaim the throne.

"Honestly, I'm still preparing for Petr (Yan) as well. I know I can't underestimate Song, and I'm not underestimating him. I'm not catching Song off guard, Song is incredibly dangerous. He's dangerous. He has power in both hands, he's fast. I'm preparing for him, but I'm also preparing for Petr."

"Petr (Yan) knows. That's what comes next. I'm going there, taking care of Song, and that's what comes next. It makes perfect sense. 2026 promises to be incredible. I'm going there, taking care of Song, taking care of Petr, DoingWell (O'Malley's new venture) is going to be huge. I'm going to retire. This could be the last year of 'Suga' ever," Sean O'Malley said on his YouTube channel.

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O UFC 324 It takes place on January 24th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (USA), and the main fight is the interim lightweight title bout (up to 70,3 kg) between Justin gaethje e Paddy Pimblett.

Is Sean O'Malley retiring?

Although the idea of ​​retirement may have been mentioned jokingly, it seems to be something Sean O'Malley is considering, as the former bantamweight champion has also admitted that he might leave the sport if things don't go as he expects.

“It’s almost pointless to try and predict what I want to do in the next five, two or three years. Let’s think about one fight at a time. If I go in there and lose several times, it’s over for me. Ideally, I go in there and take care of Song, and then I get that fight with Petr. And then we see what happens. Let’s see what life has in store for me,” said O’Malley.