Sean O'Malley begins training using Jiri Prochazka's system

Sean O'Malley has begun incorporating the training system used by light heavyweight contender Jiri Prochazka into his own preparation, the bantamweight announced recently. Specific details about what the system involves and what prompted O'Malley to pursue it have not been disclosed.

O'Malley, known as "Suga," holds a 20-3-0 record and is currently ranked fourth in the bantamweight division. The 31-year-old American trains out of MMA Lab and fights out of a switch stance. He already ranks among the more prolific strikers in his weight class, landing 6.05 significant strikes per minute at a 60 percent striking accuracy rate — numbers that make his interest in refining a striking-based system unsurprising.

Prochazka, the fighter whose methods O'Malley is reportedly adopting, is a 33-year-old Czech Republic native ranked second in the light heavyweight division with a career record of 32-6-1. Standing six-foot-three with an 80-inch reach, the Jetsaam Gym Brno product is one of the most distinctive strikers in the UFC, landing 5.69 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy. His unorthodox, kata-influenced approach to combat has drawn wide attention since his rise in the division.

Why it matters

• O'Malley is already a high-volume, high-accuracy striker; adding Prochazka's unconventional system could diversify his offensive arsenal.
• Prochazka's methods are built around fluid, unpredictable movement that has proven difficult to prepare for at the elite level.
• Any evolution in O'Malley's game carries direct implications for the bantamweight top five, where he currently sits at number four.