Sean O'malley Stops Aiemann Zahabi in Round 2 at UFC White House
sean o'malley stopped Aiemann Zahabi by second-round knockout on Sunday at UFC White House in Washington, D.C. The former UFC champion finished the bantamweight bout at 4:02, extending a rebound that had already started with his unanimous-decision win over Song Yadong at UFC 324.
O'Malley Breaks Zahabi's Streak
O’Malley entered at No. 5 in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings, while Zahabi was No. 8. The matchup matched a fighter back in form against one riding seven straight wins, the longest current streak in the UFC’s 135-pound division.
Zahabi had not lost since going 1-2 to start his UFC career, and he brought a 14-2 record into the bout. O’Malley came in at 19-3, 1 NC after losing consecutive title fights to Merab Dvalishvili before turning things around against Song.
Round One Sets Up The Finish
O’Malley hurt Zahabi with a left hand in the first round, enough for a 10-9 score in the round on one card. That early damage changed the shape of the fight before the second-round sequence ended it.
In the second, O’Malley dropped Zahabi twice before Jason Herzog halted the contest. The finish came quickly once the knockdowns started, and it left Zahabi’s winning streak at seven.
White House Card Adds Weight
The bout sat on the main card and carried real movement at bantamweight because Zahabi had been in position for a title path if he won. Georges St-Pierre was in Zahabi’s corner, but the Canadian could not slow O’Malley once the cleaner shots started landing.
As the replay rolled, O’Malley summed up the knockout in two words: “That was sexy,” The reaction fit a clean finish that kept him near the top of the division and put more pressure on the names clustered around him.
