The former Resurrection Fighting Alliance titleholder and current Top 10 contender in the Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight division will tackle Sean O'Malley in a featured UFC 276 attraction on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Munhoz, who turns 36 in September, finds himself on a two-fight losing streak but sounds like a man who has grown comfortable in his own skin.
“This will be my 18th fight in the UFC,” he told Sherdog.com. “I’ve had great battles. I’ve been in combat sports since I was very young. I started jiu-jitsu at age 13. By age 14 or 15, I was already in serious competitions. I added boxing to my training. I finally had my MMA debut in 2009. Most of my professional bouts have been inside the UFC. I love this sport. My passion is to train and fight. It’s my vocation. It’s what I love, and it’s my profession. I get paid to do this. I’m very thankful for that.
“Like everyone else, I dream to be champion,” Munhoz added. “As I’ve matured, I treat every fight as I would a fight for the world title. One thing that I’ve learned along the way is that I don’t have to wait to be a champion to be able to celebrate my victories. My goal is the title, but if I never get there, I won’t lose sleep over it. I know my abilities and qualities. Fighting is my passion, but I’m much more than a fighter.”
As age and mileage encroach on his physical skills, the American Top Team-trained Brazilian’s situation appears tenuous. Consecutive defeats to Jose Aldo and Dominick Cruz have cynics questioning whether or not time has passed Munhoz by. His encounter with O’Malley—an opponent eight years his junior—figures to reveal much.
“I find this a very attractive fight,” Munhoz said. “Even though I’m coming off two losses, those losses were in the details. Five of my last six opponents were former world champions. It shows my caliber. Some of those fights were very close on the scorecards. Some of those, I feel I actually won. The judges didn’t see it that way, but I was satisfied with my performances. Of course, I always look to improve. Those bouts gave me a renewed focus in training, adjustments and physical performance.
“I know I’ll always be facing great fighters,” he added. “I’ve been ranked by the UFC for about five or six years. I only face ranked opponents. It makes me happy that I’m able to give my best in every fight. O’Malley has a lot of the public’s attention. I believe that a win over him will boost me up, not only in rankings but in the eyes of a new generation of fans.”
O’Malley enters their pairing on the strength of three straight victories. The brash and outspoken MMA Lab standout burst on the scene in 2017, when he was one of the early success stories out of Dana White’s Contender Series. O’Malley has since compiled a 7-1 record in the UFC, cementing himself as a viable contender at 135 pounds.
“O’Malley gets better with each fight,” Munhoz said. “He’s younger. He has a great way of engaging with his fans via social media, and he’s shown a ton of ability inside the Octagon.”
While Munhoz understands he has his work cut out for him, he has identified potential weaknesses he can exploit once the cage door closes behind O’Malley.
“I see some holes in his game—not technical errors; at this level, we’re talking about details,” he said. “I believe that my durability may be greater than his. This factor alone makes all the difference in a fight like ours. I believe I can hurt him and start breaking him apart piece by piece.”
Munhoz thinks he has made some necessary changes to his approach. He faces five-inch height and seven-inch reach disadvantages against O’Malley.
“I fully expect him to fight from a distance on the outside,” Munhoz said. “I’ve been working on that, especially since I lost my last two fights because I accepted the range my opponents imposed and waited for them to go first. I’ve analyzed my own fights, and I realize that not everyone will bring the fight to me.”