Sean O'Malley’s coach, Tim Welch, believes the UFC doesn’t want boring wrestlers.
It is no secret that the UFC doesn’t prefer wrestlers who just hold their opponents without looking for a finish. Dana White even supported Alexander Volkov’s controversial split-decision win over Jailton Almeida, who had controlled Volkov on the ground for over 10 minutes. Undefeated flyweight Muhammad Mokaev also claims that his UFC contract was not renewed due to his grappling-heavy style.
Welch claims to have heard rumors that the UFC is moving away from fighters who just “lay and pray.