UFC champion Sean O'Malley 'will beat a lot of professional boxers'

After UFC 299, Teddy Atlas spoke highly of Sean O'Malley.

Bantamweight champion O'Malley (18-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) successfully defended his title for the first time by defeating Marlon Vera in five rounds at UFC 299 last Saturday.

O'Malley has mentioned a switch to boxing multiple times, naming names like Gervonta Davis and recently going back and forth with Ryan Garcia. Legendary boxing trainer Atlas even said that O'Malley could bring out the best in many professional boxers.

“I wouldn't call him a striker. He would beat a lot of professional fighters,” Atlas said on THE FIGHT with Teddy Atlas. “He will beat a lot of professional boxers, he is very good at boxing. His feet are very good. His striking ability, combinations are technically sound and pure. His hands are very fast. His ring IQ is that high.

“His vision is very clear. He sees everything and is a phenomenal counter-puncher, a pure counter-puncher. … He has a long jab and uses that long jab to launch punches. . He knows range really well. He has very good control of range, not just with his legs, but also by hitting the punches full length. He gets full extensions.”

Atlas also said he's seen a lot of improvement in O'Malley's game, citing a quote he often uses to describe O'Malley's performance.

“Cus D'Amato said to me, 'Teddy, when a guy wins a title, he automatically becomes 30 percent better,'” Atlas said. “You know? That's scary because with O'Malley he was looking 30% (better). He was that much firmer, more consistent, more integrated. He improved. did.”

For more information on the card, visit MMA Junkie's UFC 299 event hub.