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Daniel Cormier recently shared his thoughts on Sean O’Malley’s coach, Tim Welch, claiming that the Sphere lighting played a part in Noche UFC loss to Merab Dvalishvili.
Cormier didn’t dismiss the idea that the pressure and spectacle inside the premier Las Vegas venue could’ve played a role in O’Malley’s loss. He pointed out how visibly awestruck O'Malley was during his walkout.
Cormier, an Olympian and NCAA wrestler, compared the experience to his time under the bright lights. O'Malley, despite his flashy presence, is still adjusting to being a true headliner.
Shedding light on O'Malley's coach's comments in a recent episode of ESPN MMA's Good Guy/ Bad Guy, Cormier said:
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"I think he [Tim Welch] might be right. Think about this, did you remember when Sean walked out?... So maybe maybe Tim is not saying a light was shining in his eyes so he couldn't defend takedowns...Maybe Tim is saying that the moment got big and the lights were too much, figuratively speaking. Yeah, it was too big of a moment. Because when Sean walked out it was very noticeable, he was kind of going 'Yes,' he was looking around. It was so noticeable, he was like 'Wow, this is amazing.' Maybe. Hey, because guess what, at the end of the day Chael [Sonnen], and I'll say this, and this is no shot at O’Malley or none of these other dudes."
He added:
"At the end of the day, Chael, you and I competed at the NCAA tournament in front of 20,000 people, right? The Olympic Games, the World Championship, whether it's age group or senior, we competed in those big arenas, so those moments never felt too big. Sean O'Malley was a guy that played high school sports and then became a fighter. So while you might have fought in front of 20,000 people before, when you're fighting in a once-in-a-lifetime venue, that moment can now seem big for a person."
Check out Daniel Cormier's comments below (16:40):
Sean O’Malley’s talks about Merab Dvalishvili's fighting style ahead of UFC 316 rematch
Sean O’Malley is gearing up for redemption at UFC 316, and his coach, Tim Welch, believes the rematch with Merab Dvalishvili will be very different.
O’Malley, who suffered a torn labrum before the fight, struggled with Dvalishvili’s relentless pressure and grappling. Welch expects Merab to bring the same wrestling-heavy strategy for the rematch. But this time, he says O’Malley is fully healthy and far more prepared, both mentally and physically.
Previewing the fight and Dvalishvili's strategy in an interview with ESPN, Welch said:
"I'm expecting the same Merab... A guy who's an expert at winning 25 minutes, getting into positions where he's doing just enough damage to not get stood up and where it looks like he's winning to the judges. Pinning people on the fence, pinning people in half guard, pinning people on their guard. He's just an expert at winning 25 minutes."
Check out Tim Welch's comments below (6:25):
