UFC 250 takeaways: Cody Garbrandt rises, Sean O’Malley proves himself, more

Thoughts and analysis of the biggest storylines coming out of UFC 250, which took place Saturday in Las Vegas.

4. Sean O’Malley proves his legitimacy

[autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] called his shot against Eddie Wineland. He promised a viral knockout, and he delivered in spades with a ridiculous one-punch finish of the former WEC champion.

Ahead of this fight, I thought Wineland was not getting enough credit for his career accomplishments and the challenge he brought to O’Malley. He was not getting his due respect, so before anyone criticizes O’Malley’s competition, let it be known Wineland is one of the most well-traveled bantamweights in history.

Because of that, it only elevates the impressiveness of what O’Malley pulled off. No one has beat Wineland quite like that, and in my mind it validates a lot of the hype around “The Suga Show.” He’s no UFC creation, and he is dangerous to his core.

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It’s going to be fascinating to see what the UFC does with O’Malley next. He’s a future contender in my mind, but this performance shouldn’t lead to rushing him. Give him someone else on the cusp of the top 10, and see if he can do what he did against Wineland again.

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