Credit: Mike Fridley/Sherdog.com 
Credit: Mike Fridley/Sherdog.com 
Credit: Mike Fridley/Sherdog.com 
Credit: Mike Fridley/Sherdog.comSean O’Malley will undergo surgery on his right hip, a procedure he estimates will keep him sidelined for approximately four months.
The rising bantamweight star announced his plans via Twitter on Tuesday. The timing works out well for O’Malley, as he is awaiting a ruling from USADA on a potential anti-doping violation that resulted in him being pulled from a proposed UFC 229 matchup against Jose Quinonez.
“Surgery on Thursday on my right hip,” O’Malley wrote. “This will put me off the mats for about [four] months. Still waiting on the USADA situation to get sorted out. This year has been the best year and toughest year of my life.”
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
A recent change to the UFC’s anti-doping policy dictates that possible violations won’t be announced until the cases are fully resolved, but O’Malley made his transgression public prior to UFC 229. “Sugar” Sean later revealed that he tested positive for the banned substance ostarine and speculated that the failed test could have resulted from tainted caffeine pills.
O’Malley, who trains at the MMA Lab in Arizona, will be going under the knife for the second time this year. Shortly after a victory against Andre Soukhamthath at UFC 222 in March, O’Malley had surgery to fix a foot injury he suffered in that fight. Now it appears the young talent won’t be competing again in 2018.
O’Malley is 10-0 as a professional, with triumphs over Soukhamthath and Terrion Ware in UFC competition. He rose to prominence thanks to a first-round knockout of Alfred Khashakyan on the first season of Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series.