Sean O'Malley's coach looks back on humble beginnings and decade of dominance after back-to-back defeats

Former UFC bantamweight kingpin Sean O'Malley's latest setbacks have not discouraged his head coach, Tim Welch. Welch asserts that the story is far from done.

At UFC 316, 'Suga' was submitted by champion Merab Dvalishvili. Having lost his last two bouts against 'The Machine' and failing to regain the lost bantamweight strap, things did not go as planned for O'Malley and his coach. Ahead of the championship bout, Welch had predicted that his pupil would secure a TKO finish to avenge his UFC 306 title loss. However, that was not the case.

Welch now has a message for O'Malley and his fans. He recently shared some special moments with the former UFC champion on Instagram, adding that the mission's "not over."

"22 wins, 3 losses over the last 12 years. We started with nothing, flat broke from Montana. We've built a life most only dream about: multiple homes, land, equity in major companies, a successful gym, and our dream property. This was all built from passion, discipline. We could retire now, but the mission’s not over."

Check out Tim Welch's comments below:

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Sean O'Malley anticipates UFC return in December

Sean O'Malley wants to take a six-month break and return to the octagon in December. In a recent YouTube video on his channel, he said:

"The division's gonna play out over the next few months. We'll see where it goes. December seems like it would make sense for me to get back in there. Six or seven months."

Check out Sean O'Malley's comments below:

Meanwhile, former UFC champion Aljamain Sterling, who lost his bantamweight gold to O'Malley, has called out 'Suga' for a rematch at 145 pounds.