"Bad concussions" - UFC superstar Sean O'Malley explains why he only spars during fight camps

Fan-favorite, UFC knockout artist Sean O’Malley has revealed that he only spars while in fight camp. In an appearance on The Pivot Podcast, ‘Sugar’ highlighted that most fighter injuries usually occur during the preparation for a given fight: i.e. during fight camp.

The 27-year-old indicated that these injuries include bad concussions as well. O’Malley suggested that he’s completely dialed in during his fight camps, adding that he tries to ensure that he takes minimal damage during his fights too. ‘Sugar’ stated:

“I’ve been training for about 11 years. I completely quit sparring outside of camp. I will not spar until I have a fight booked. Then, I’ll spar eight weeks out. My brain—I’ve had bad concussions. I mean, sure, you guys know the bad concussions where you’re like, I’m laying in my room, can’t look at my phone, turn the lights off. Those are scary.”

“It really makes you think like, ‘Damn. What if I just never go back to normal, my normal brain?’ That’s terrifying. It’s horrible. So, I don’t spar outside of camp. The fact that I got through this [Munhoz] fight, literally not getting hit in the head, that makes me more happy than anything.”

O’Malley is coming off an NC (No Contest) against Pedro Munhoz at UFC 276 on July 2nd. Their fight ended due to an inadvertent eye poke that rendered Munhoz unable to continue. Presently, it’s unclear as to whether ‘Sugar’ will be rebooked to face Munhoz in a rematch or fight another top-10 bantamweight next.

Watch O’Malley discuss the topic at 11:55 in the video below:

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Sean O’Malley, Max Holloway, and the nuances of sparring for fight prep in the UFC

In recent years, fighters such as Sean O’Malley and former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway have become increasingly vocal about cutting down on sparring for their brain health and holistic wellbeing.

Nevertheless, there’s a key dichotomy in O’Malley and Holloway’s approach towards sparring. ‘Sugar’ doesn’t spar when he doesn’t have a fight booked, but he consistently spars during fight camp. On the contrary, Holloway rarely spars, even if he has a fight coming up.

Many believe Sean O’Malley’s approach to sparring might be more balanced, as a certain amount of sparring is generally thought of as paramount for fighters to prepare themselves for their MMA bouts in the UFC.

Meanwhile, those who prefer Holloway’s method cite the long-term benefits of minimizing the damage sustained in sparring and the overall damage in their fighting careers. Intriguingly, Holloway shed light upon his lack of sparring during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic back in 2020. You can check out his valuable insights by clicking HERE.