Rising Bantamweight contender Sean O’Malley was recently yanked from his scheduled showdown against Jose Quinonez -- which was set to pop off at UFC 229 on Oct. 6, 2018) —- after “Suga” failed a United States Anti Doping Agency (USADA)-administered drug test.
While he waits to see how that plays out, Sean — who maintains his innocence — will take the opportunity to go under the knife to correct a hip issue, and will be out of action for at least four more months.
O’Malley took to Twitter to spill the beans:
Surgery on Thursday on my right hip. This will put me off the Mats for about 4 months. Still waiting on the USADA situation to get sorted out . This year has been the best year,and toughest year of my life .Fuckin love you guys tho ❤️I’ll be streaming A LOT
— Sean O'Malley (@SugaSeanMMA) October 22, 2018
“Suga” had previously underwent surgery to repair a broken foot earlier this year for a broken foot. A few months later, O’Malley revealed he had restructured his deal with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) after just two wins with the promotion.
The undefeated (10-0, 2.0 UFC) standout will now be looking at a potential year-long sit between fights, which could be longer by the time USADA completes its investigation and doesn’t rule in his favor. Because we know drug testing agency doesn’t exactly have the best reputation for quick turnarounds.