Sean O’Malley picked up his sixth victory inside the UFC cage Saturday, but it didn’t come without a fight.
“The Sugar Show” O’Malley (13-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) defeated promotional newcomer Kris Moutinho (9-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) via TKO at 4:33 of Round 3.
The bantamweight bout opened up the UFC 264 main card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.
Moutinho made his UFC debut on 11 days’ notice on a two-fight winning streak. The Regiment Training Center product was a heavy underdog entering the fight but fearlessly pushed the pace throughout.
From the opening bell, the green-haired New Englander charged straight at O’Malley as he flung punches – and absorbed many more. For 14 minutes, Moutinho took O’Malley’s best shots and continued to march forward.
In the final 30 seconds, the two fighters opened up in a wild exchange that sent the crowd to their feet. However, referee Herb Dean did not like what he saw from the bloodied and battered Moutinho, who was eating the worst of the shots – so he stepped in and stopped the fight.
The stoppage was met by mixed reactions. Critics included UFC commentator Joe Rogan, who indicated on the broadcast that he did not agree with Dean’s decision-making to call the standing TKO.
With the victory, O’Malley has now won back-to-back fights since his loss to Marlon “Chito” Vera in August 2020. In his seven UFC appearances, O’Malley has won four by TKO or knockout.
As for Moutinho, the short-notice replacement and UFC newcomer has his two-fight winning streak snapped. The defeat is the third time he’s lost by TKO.
Up-to-the-minute UFC 264 results include:
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Sean O’Malley def. Kris Moutinho via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 4:33
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Max Griffin def. Carlos Condit via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
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Michel Pereira def. Niko Price via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
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Ilia Topuria def. Ryan Hall via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 4:47
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Dricus Du Plessis def. Trevin Giles via knockout (punches) – Round 2, 1:41
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Jennifer Maia def. Jessica Eye via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
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Brad Tavares def. Omari Akhmedov via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
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Zhalgas Zhumagulov def. Jerome Rivera via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 2:02
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Twitter reacts to Sean O’Malley’s TKO – and Herb Dean’s stoppage – at UFC 264
