Sean O’Malley is set to make his highly anticipated return at UFC 324 against the dangerous Song Yadong. On the first Paramount+ CBS card, ‘Suga’ will be looking to snap the two-fight skid handed to him by Merab Dvalishvili. However, before the former bantamweight champion even steps into the octagon, some serious concerns have started to surface. Why?

It’s because O’Malley has added another piece to his tattoo collection, this time getting inked on his forehead just three weeks before his comeback. On the surface, ‘Suga’ getting a new tattoo might not seem unusual. Still, the timing has raised eyebrows. Fans are worried that the ex-135-pound king taking this call so close to fight night could put him at risk of an infection, something no fighter wants ahead of a crucial return. 

Reacting to O’Malley’s new tattoo, one fan quickly asked,  “How will this affect the fight?” to which another user responded with a concerning take, writing, “Infection incoming.” Now, it’s definitely unclear whether the Arizona native would actually end up with an infection, as there’s always a chance the newly drawn body art heals properly. Still, another fan believes the timing is simply too tight.

“3 weeks? It won’t. He’s risking an infection if it doesn’t heal completely but it won’t affect the fight. Just might affect his recovery after.” According to the user, the 31-year-old UFC star could be running a risk heading into his next fight, but infection might not be the only concern.

After seeing Sean O’Malley under the ink gun, another user pointed out that his body would prioritize healing the tattoo, which could make recovery tougher. The fan wrote, “You’re supposed to wait about 1-2 weeks before returning to training to avoid messing up the healing process or getting it infected. Plus there’s a period of time where your immune system is working harder and your body can’t recover as well. He might be fine but it’s just a dumb move.”

If the former champ’s recovery, training, or weight cut takes a hit because of the forehead art, it could translate into his performance on fight night, and that might prove costly. However, among the concerning reactions, another fan dug up an old moment where ‘Suga’ roasted Cody Garbrandt for getting a face tattoo.

“He also talked about how stupid Cody’s face tats looked along the lines of “wow, is that what people think I look like??” And now he’s getting more lmao.” For the unversed, O’Malley had mocked ‘No Love’ after his loss to Raoni Barcelos, taking a jab at his braided hair and tattooed look. Here, the fan essentially turned the tables on ‘Suga’ for doing the very thing he once criticized.

Following that, another user suggested the former bantamweight champ might be overlooking his opponent, writing, “It does feel like he’s looking past yadong.” That take was immediately shut down by another fan, who disagreed completely: “Yadong its not merab. 30-27 UD for Suga if not a KO/TKO.” The belief being that since Yadong isn’t as wrestling-heavy, O’Malley should control the striking exchanges.

That said, the Chinese contender has recently revealed that he’s preparing hard for this matchup, especially on the wrestling front, as he looks to upset Sean O’Malley at UFC 324. 

A Crucial Stylistic Adjustment for Song Yadong

‘Kungfu Kid’ has been very close to becoming the number one contender several times during his UFC run, but he fell short at crucial moments. His losses to Cory Sandhagen and Petr Yan halted Song Yadong’s push toward a title shot. However, UFC 324 could change that. With a win over Sean O’Malley, the Chinese bantamweight could put himself right back in the title conversation, and that’s exactly why he has been putting extra focus on his grappling, training under Justin Flores.

“For this year, I have been focused on more wrestling. I went to San Diego to train with J-Flo (Justin Flores). He’s a judo guy, so I learned some new stuff. I feel great. I feel like I’m reaching my peak.” the 28-year-old contender told UFC.

Justin Flores is a former Canadian mixed martial artist who has worked with elite UFC champions like Ronda Rousey and Dominick Cruz. With Flores in his camp, Yadong is expected to show noticeable improvements in his grappling. That said, Sean O’Malley also possesses strong takedown defense, something even a relentless wrestler like Merab Dvalishvili found difficult to fully break down.

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With that being said, do you think ‘Suga’ makes it to UFC 324 without any infection issues and delivers a barn burner against Song Yadong? Let us know in the comments section below.