Sean O'Malley issues unfiltered take on whether Demetrious Johnson could win UFC gold upon potential return

Sean O'Malley recently shared his perspective on Demetrious Johnson’s chances of winning a UFC title should he make a return to the promotion. O'Malley is set to headline UFC 316 on June 7, where he will challenge reigning bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

In preparation for his rematch with Dvalishvili, 'Sugar' enlisted the expertise of Johnson. After training together, O’Malley thinks the widely regarded MMA legend still has the sharpness to compete at the highest level, even after stepping away from active competition.

During a recent interview with MMA journalist Kevin Iole, O'Malley confidently stated that if 'Mighty Mouse' decides to return to the octagon and challenge reigning UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja, he could still pose a legitimate threat to the Brazilian:

"If DJ [Demetrious Johnson] wanted to come back and fight Pantoja, you can’t count DJ out, you just can’t. That would be a very competitive fight, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Demetrious won. He’s still got it! He’s 38, still explosive, fast, skills are still there. He very well could come back."

He added:

"He just mentally doesn’t want to go through a fight camp. And I get it, they’re brutal. You do it as many times as he’s done it, done everything he’s done, making good money on YouTube and living a good life. If you don’t have that hunger inside you, the desire to try to do this, you shouldn’t do this."

Check out Sean O'Malley's comments below (5:56):

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Sean O'Malley’s coach opens up about training with Demetrious Johnson

Demetrious Johnson has seemingly offered some insightful perspectives to Sean O'Malley during their training sessions. According to Tim Welch, O'Malley’s head coach, Johnson’s unique approach forced the team to reevaluate key fundamentals.

In a recent video on his YouTube channel, Welch heaped praise on 'Mighty Mouse' and described their training experience as an invaluable learning opportunity for the entire team:

"I learned a bunch from him just in the clinch. He pressures you so hard, forces you to reach out for him, to reach out and grab him, and as soon as you reach out and grab him, he just rifles those knees up the middle, just by getting in your face, moving, moving, moving. Maybe [he's] slipping a punch and being in the corner of your shoulder and not getting out of your face where you have to reach for him, and as soon as you reach, his twitchiness and his explosiveness with those knees is so quick."

Check out Tim Welch's comments below (21:44):