Kicking off the PPV main card at UFC 269 was a battle between two dynamic strikers in the bantamweight division. The Suga Show returned as Sean O’Malley (14-1) took on Brazilian standout Raulian Paiva (21-3).
Raulian Paiva made his UFCÂ debut at 17-1 and he did it in the flyweight division. However, he got off to a rough start.
Paiva lost his first two fights and ultimately moved up in weight. He’s now on a three-fight winning streak which includes a win over O’Malley’s teammate in Kyler Phillips.
That said, Paiva had a tall mountain to climb at UFC 269. Sean O’Malley is one of the more dynamic fighters in all the UFC. He’s incredibly talented wherever the fight takes place, but he shines in the stand up.
O’Malley is huge for the weight class and he’s going to have a big size advantage on Saturday night. After suffering his first loss to Chito Vera last year, O’Malley has bounced back with two solid wins this year.
UFC 269 Recap
Round 1
The UFC 269 bantamweight started with immediate pressure from O’Malley. The striking starts with a body kick from O’Malley. Paiva tries to catch a kick and take O’Malley down but O’Malley defends well.
Now it’s Paiva pressure as O’Malley circles the outside. Good jab from O’Malley. O’Malley looks for a body kick and Paiva lands one of his own. Paiva looking to get more aggressive here and he lands a nice low kick.
Paiva catches O’Malley with a nice right straight. Low kick behind it causes O’Malley to switch stances. Halfway through the round and Paiva continues with the pressure. Big left straight lands for O’Malley but Paiva doesn’t seem bothered.
Another good low kick lands for Paiva. Lots of feints from O’Malley. O’Malley tripes up on the jab to get some space after eating a low kick from Paiva. O’Malley steps in but it’s Paiva that throws. However, nothing solid lands.
Paiva pushes forward with a combination. O’Malley lands a flush right hand and Paiva is hurt badly. O’Malley all over him and Paiva is out on his feet. The referee is giving Paiva every opportunity but O’Malley finishes the fight. Huge performance at UFC 269 from The Suga Show.
Sean O’Malley def. Raulian Paiva by TKO – Round 1