UFC 250 Preview, Pick, Prediction: Can Sean O’Malley Stay Unbeaten Against Eddie Wineland?

Sean O’Malley didn’t lose a step in his most recent UFC fight. There were some questions about what O’Malley’s performance would look like when he faced Jose Alberto Quinonez in March at UFC 248. The reason for the concern was that O’Malley had not stepped into the octagon in over two years.

One reason for O’Malley’s delayed return was hip surgery. Another was he failed two drug tests for Ostarine. Those failed drug tests, earned him a suspension from the United States Anti-Doping Agency. That organization oversees the UFC’s anti-doping policy.

O’Malley looked great in his return. He scored a first-round knockout over Quinonez and scored his first “Performance of the Night” bonus award. O’Malley, who is unranked in the bantamweight division, faces inaugural WEC bantamweight champion Eddie Wineland in the first fight of the UFC 250 pay-per-view card on Saturday. O’Malley is 11-0 as a pro. Wineland’s record is 24-13-1. Wineland bounced back from a two-fight losing skid in June 2019 with a knockout win over Grigory Popov. Like the 25-year-old O’Malley, the 35-year-old Wineland is not ranked in the official UFC rankings.

This fight is a good test for O’Malley. Wineland is a veteran with name recognition who fights in an awkward style that could cause a problem for his younger and inexperienced opponent. 

O’Malley sees Wineland as an opponent that could get him closer to bigger fights and carry him to his goal of fighting for the UFC‘s 135-pound title in 2021. 

O’Malley, speaking to MMA Fighting, offered a prediction on the fight, “First-round knockout. His style versus my style, and we both show up? It’s a quick night for us. I think I’m gonna put him away fast.”

Wineland has been knocked out three times in his career. His most recent loss via KO came in 2014 when he was stopped in the first round by Johnny Eduardo. 

I’m picking O’Malley, but I’m not sure of the knockout. I think he’ll win via decision.

UFC 250 takes place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view. ESPN and ESPN+ carry the prelims and ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass broadcast the early prelims.