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Fight Archives: 18-year-old Sean O’Malley thrills hometown crowd in MMA debut

I’d say the most enjoyable thing about doing this series is seeing fighters evolve from raw talents to superstars in their own right. Some of them do live up to the hype, while there are others who end up falling from grace.

But that middle part of the journey is what I find most fascinating. It’s a lot less pressure and a lot more proving yourself and silencing critics. And it is exactly where 25-year-old Sean O’Malley is right now.

What separates “Sugar” Sean from the pack is his self-belief. His UFC 250 performance against Eddie Wineland alone spoke volumes of how much confidence he has in his abilities.