The Plot Twist To Sean O’Malley vs Pedro Munhoz

Say what you want about Sean O’Malley, but regardless of what you may think of him or his skillset, you’ll be watching him when he makes the walk. O’Malley’s last few performances looked too good to be true. There’s no denying that Sean’s masterful striking is elite. However, his competition hasn’t been the sturdiest.

It’s sink or swim now: O’Malley isn’t about to fight a regular opponent, far from it. Enters Pedro “The Young Punisher” Munhoz, submission specialist and heavy-handed slugger.

Let’s be real: now is the perfect time to fight Pedro, with him losing four of his last five fights. So, it’s clear that he’s the perfect next step for “The Sugar Show.” That being said, even though Munhoz is the underdog in the fight, there’s one fascinating storyline that might just even up the stakes…

Ever since O’Malley made his debut under the bright lights back in 2017, his skills and attributes were on display. However, a glaring vulnerability was also on display; the foot durability.

Regardless of what most might think, O’Malley’s road to the top was far from smooth sailing. Back in 2018, Sean O’Malley suffered a gruesome foot break in the third round against Andre Sukhamthath. It took O’Malley two years to step back to the octagon, not just because of the injury, but also, O’Malley was suspended for failing two united states anti-doping random tests.

Five months after O’Malley made his long-awaited return in 2020, he was booked to face Marlon Vera. As documented, Sean suffered his first knockout loss after absorbing damage to his foot against the stubborn Ecuadorian. Since that night, we saw some moments of success by his opponents when they tried to halt his footwork with leg kicks.

Here is where it gets interesting…

Even though Pedro Munhoz seems to be on the downslide, he’s still one of the most devastating kickers in the division. If you’re ever in need of proof, simply ask his last opponent and former top contender Jimi Riviera, who lost via brutal leg kicks, to then retire from all the damage he absorbed.

Most might know Munhoz from his shocking knockout win over Cody Gardbrant. But what most don’t recall is that Cody was compromised early from the leg kicks, which made him switch to fight or flight mode knowing that his leg was a kick away from disaster.

Perspective is everything: you can view the leg vulnerability as a clear disadvantage for O’Malley, especially when he’s facing such a devastating killer like Munhoz. But, at the same time, the preparation of O’Malley is easier than ever now with him knowing that all his adversaries almost have one identical gameplan; try to kick his legs and put him against the fence.

O’Malley is a finisher, and Pedro Munhoz has never been finished or even dropped in any of his professional fights. If the Brazilian manages to overcome O’Malley’s rangy onslaught early, then it will be his fight for the taking, and I do favour this scenario. However, if O’Malley can blitz through Munhoz, you might as well ship a rocket to the moon with his name on it because ascension to superstardom will be the only way.