Preview: UFC 276 ‘Adesanya vs. Cannonier’

Bantamweights

#13 BW | Sean O'Malley (15-1, 7-1 UFC) vs. #9 BW | Pedro Munhoz (19-7, 9-7 UFC)

ODDS: O’Malley (-300), Munhoz (+250)

O’Malley has done well over the last five years to market and establish himself as a top prospect to watch. Now, it seems, is the time for the true charge into bantamweight contender status. O’Malley picked apart Alfred Khashakyan on the first season of Dana White’s Contender Series back in 2017, showing off his exciting striking style and serving as one of the overall standouts of the show. To their credit, UFC matchmakers realized what they had and immediately started featuring “Sugar Sean” in main card slots. However, O’Malley wound up losing two years of his career due to factors out of his control. After injuring his foot in a win over Andre Soukhamthath, O’Malley was railroaded by USADA issues similar to those that plagued Jon Jones. O’Malley wound up picking up where he left off in 2020 with a string of impressive knockouts, though a loss to Marlon Vera turned into a worrying setback. Vera was winning the fight for as long as it lasted, but the issue was that O’Malley suffering a leg injury late in the first round suggested his body may continue betraying him. So far, so good. O’Malley’s 2021 campaign saw him use his high-movement style to pick apart and eventually finish all three of his opponents. After O’Malley handled the scrappy Raulian Paiva, Munhoz is the next obstacle standing between the MMA Lab rep and the bantamweight elite.

A hyped prospect prior to his UFC debut, it was a pleasure to see Munhoz finally get some momentum going and charge up the bantamweight ranks circa 2017. Brazil’s “Young Punisher” has an exciting style that, at its best, forces his opponents to make the best choice from some bad decisions. Munhoz marches his opponents down with powerful strikes, banking on the belief that he can eventually convince them to start hunting takedowns, at which point he can unleash one of the most lethal guillotine chokes in the sport. This is all held together by a sickening level of durability on Munhoz’s part. Say what you will about Cody Garbrandt, but it was legitimately impressive that when their fight devolved into the two winging bombs at each other, Munhoz seemed none the worse for wear before scoring a knockout. That Garbrandt win in 2019 did set Munhoz up for some big fights, but the Brazilian hit a clear plateau once he started facing top contenders. While Munhoz is constantly dangerous and seemingly unshakeable in his determination, opponents were mostly able to maneuver around his straight-line pressure, forcing him to chase while rarely ever actually catching up. Frankie Edgar, Jose Aldo and Dominick Cruz are all crafty vets who can easily pass the type of IQ test that Munhoz provides, and O’Malley should, as well. He has even more of a physical advantage with his youth, speed and reach, and he has shown a willingness to stick to a smart approach and lean behind what works. There is a chance that Munhoz could wear “Sugar Sean” down through sheer relentlessness—or grab a submission if he can take advantage of a defensive lapse—but the main improvement O’Malley has made has been an increasing ability to pace himself, something that should pay dividends here. The pick is O’Malley via clear decision.

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Adesanya vs. Cannonier
Volkanovski vs. Holloway
Strickland vs. Pereira
Lawler vs. Barberena
O’Malley vs. Munhoz
The Prelims