There’s ‘one difference’ that sets Pimblett & O’Malley apart — Chael Sonnen

Chael Sonnen explains the one thing that sets Paddy Pimblett apart from Sean O’Malley.

Former UFC middleweight and light heavyweight title challenger turned podcast host and MMA analyst Chael Sonnen recently spoke about the similarities between two of the fastest growing stars in the UFC: Sean O’Malley and Paddy Pimblett.

Although they are two of the most popular personalities in the sport, with both men having a combined 5.3 million Instagram followers, Sonnen highlighted one key difference between the two fighters: their approach to calling out opponents.

O’Malley has made it clear that he has his sights set on the bantamweight title and has a clear path to contention following his recent victory over Petr Yan. Pimblett, on the other hand, has not called out a single opponent since joining the UFC last year, preferring instead to let the fights come to him.

“The one difference between those two. I’ve never seen anyone get over to the extent that Paddy’s over without having this element, which is Paddy’s not calling anybody out,” Sonnen said on his YouTube channel (h/t John Cunningham of MMA News). “I could narrow down a few guys that Sean [O’Malley] is likely to fight next. But I don’t see that for Paddy. Paddy doesn’t challenge anybody.”

Pimblett last fought at UFC 281, where he secured a controversial unanimous decision win over Jared Gordon in the co-main event. He is anticipated to return to the Octagon in the coming year, possibly at UFC London.

As for O’Malley, the 28-year-old is expected to fight the winner of the proposed matchup between Aljamain Sterling and Henry Cejudo for the bantamweight title. That bout is anticipated to take place in March 2023.