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Recently, UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley shared a video on social media from a sparring session in 2016 with flyweight champ Alexandre Pantoja. Initially keeping the ending under wraps, O’Malley has now decided to unveil the footage, showcasing a powerful body kick that led Pantoja to stop the spar.
Pantoja mentioned the sparring session during his UFC 301 fight week preparations ahead of his successful title defense against Steve Erceg. During an interview on The MMA Hour in October 2023, Pantoja revealed that despite requesting it, O’Malley never shared the video with him.
Pantoja believed that O’Malley’s hesitation to share the video implied he was hesitant to showcase any defeats. Despite their previous sparring encounter, both athletes have gone on to hold world titles concurrently. O’Malley is gearing up to defend his title against Merab Dvalishvili, while Pantoja is looking ahead to making a comeback to the octagon by the year’s end.
