Issue 224

December 2025

This isn’t just a knee to the face. It’s Sean O’Malley reminding everyone that fights don’t have to look like they’re a boring smother-fest filmed through a grey dishcloth. There’s a size difference here that shouldn’t work on paper. Vera looks thicker, sturdier, built like a man who carries spare batteries for other people. And yet the rangey O’Malley floats into range wearing pink and blue like he’s accidentally wandered into a futuristic nightclub fight scene. The knee lands. The colors pop. When Sean disappears from the schedule, the sport quietly loses its contrast. Love him or hate him, without him, everything feels a little beige. That’s why this shot matters heading into UFC 324. On January 24, he faces Song Yadong, a man with 15 UFC fights baked into his bones and zero interest in aesthetics. Regardless of the outcome, we're looking forward to O'Malley finding space, color, and about half a second to make violence look fun again.

March 9, 2024

Sean O’Malley vs Marlon Vera

UFC 299