Dana White’s Broken Promise Led to Sean O’Malley’s Coach’s Jaw-Breaking Retirement

Almost every single mixed martial artist aspires to become a part of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Not only does this propel the fighters’ popularity, but it also shows them where they stand on a more competitive stage. And Sean O’Malley’s coach, Tim Welch, was also someone who once dreamed of fighting in the Octagon. So what exactly pushed him out of the competition? Well, according to ‘Red Hawk,’ it was none other than Dana White. 

Welch was nothing short of an impressive fighter during his fighting days. He holds a professional record of 14-6, and all of his wins came via finishes. Impressive, right? But things seldom go as planned. Welch got the chance to compete on The Ultimate Fighter Season 22, and the road to that UFC contract looked almost sorted. However, the bout ended up in a loss for Welch, and he was back to square one. So, where exactly did the UFC head honcho come in? 

On episode #5 of Young Man Ramble, featuring O’Malley, Welch, and Israel Adesanya, ‘Suga’s coach weighed in on how he began his current profession. He revealed, “I think it was when I was 27, about to turn 28. I’d lost my Ultimate Fighter fight. Dana said, ‘Win two more.’ I won two more. He didn’t bring me back. So, I’m like, ‘I’m going to take a third fight.’ So, I fought this pretty tough Canadian striker. And the first punch of the fight, hit me with the uppercut. Boom! I was like, ‘F—, that was a good shot, but not too hard.’ But then I couldn’t close my mouth. So, I completely broke my jaw.”

It was indeed a career-ending jaw break. The fight against Dejan Kajic via a second-round RNC at Intense Championship Fighting 28 was the last time Welch ever competed in the MMA realm. Had White inducted him into the UFC after his win at Intense Championship Fighting 26, we might have gotten to see ‘Red Hawk’ competing in the Octagon. But after the loss in 2017, Welch entered 2 grappling bouts and lost, and finally decided to retire. 

But do you know how he became O’Malley’s coach? Welch continued, “Ever since Sean moved down as a kid, I was kind of his mentor, because there’s not a lot of people who make it to a bigger show from Montana. And he saw me on TV. I invited him down. And we trained at the lab for a long time. But still, when he was in fight camp, I’d still try to teach him how to eat healthy and teach him how to hydrate and stuff like that. And after that jaw break, it just kind of turned into more like coaching him and putting all of my effort into him.”

The UFC CEO’s broken promise was one of the major reasons why Welch became a coach. But becoming a coach for the former bantamweight champion came for one more reason. And that was linked to Welch and O’Malley’s hometown, Montana. Let’s hear it straight from the former TUF contestant, shall we? 

Tim Welch wouldn’t have become Sean O’Malley’s coach if they weren’t from Montana

Prior to O’Malley’s battle with Aljamain Sterling, Welch revealed that he first saw ‘Suga’ fight back when he was still competing under the banner of Bellator FC. He saw the former bantamweight champion kickboxing and was amazed by his athleticism. But it was O’Malley’s passion for the sport that pulled the two together.

Welch said, “I saw (Sean) was super passionate about the sport. He was super active in Montana, so I invited him down just to give him the opportunity to train with a bunch of professionals. And he took the opportunity and came down to train. He got beat up really bad the first week, and I didn’t think I’d see him again. And he went back home, saved up $2,000, packed his car, and moved down.”

However, Montana had to play a major role in bringing them together. Welch claimed, “We would, we wouldn’t be where we’re at if we weren’t weren’t from Montana.” He pointed out that the team got immense support from Montana-based businesses. And such support was the reason why fighters got through the challenges when they were broke and usually had to work day jobs. Welch continued, “And we had a lot of sponsors coming up to help us be able to train full time. And great coaches in Montana. So a lot of our success comes from being from Montana to get where we’re at.”

Needless to say, Montana was indeed one of the most important factors in molding ‘Red Hawk’ into O’Malley’s coach. But it seemed like Welch could never forget how White’s broken promise got him off the MMA roster. In the end, it all came down to one single punch that messed up his mandible. Nevertheless, it all turned out good. The broken promise ensured that the bantamweight division got a commendable fighter, Sean O’Malley. 

Do you think O’Malley could have become a champion if White had brought Welch into the UFC? Would you have liked to see ‘Red Hawk’ compete against the strongest lightweights around that time? Let us know what you think in the comments down below. 

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