Tim Welch, the longtime coach of UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley, believes the promotion is shifting away from competitors who rely solely on controlling position without seeking finishes. Speaking ahead of O’Malley’s UFC 324 bout against Song Yadong on January 24th, Welch addressed in a recent podcast episode what he sees as a changing landscape in the sport.
“I don’t know if they are or not, but rumor has it UFC’s kind of trying to get away from people who just pin people, who just try to stall out. Grapplers who are going to pin you in half guard for the whole fight,” Welch explained. “I think they’re trying to get away with that, which is smart. They probably should. I mean, it’s a sport people are going to want to watch.”
The comments came during a discussion about recent matchmaking trends, including Paddy Pimblett’s title shot after defeating Michael Chandler and Diego Lopes getting a crack at Alexander Volkanovski. Welch acknowledged the UFC’s emphasis on entertainment value when booking matches.
“If they don’t, then we’re going to have a bunch of Russians who sit there and pin you in half guard or they’ll put you on the wall, hold their hands around your waist, and just stall the clock,” Welch continued. “It’ll be full of that. If they don’t do something about it, it’ll be full of people that are just pinning. And if you want to see someone get pinned for 25 minutes, that’s just not going to be good for viewership.”
Regarding the upcoming three-round contest with Song Yadong, Welch revealed his team is preparing for the Chinese star’s wrestling-heavy approach while hoping for an exciting standup battle. “It would be sweet if he wanted to stand up and make a really exciting fight for the fans,” Welch said, though he emphasized they’re ready for all scenarios.
The coach also praised rising prospect Ezra Elliott, who recently moved from bantamweight to featherweight. “Ezra Elliott, he doesn’t do that. He strangles everyone,” Welch noted, highlighting the difference between position-based grappling and aggressive submission hunting that he believes the UFC favors.
With O’Malley potentially one win away from another title shot, possibly against Petr Yan at a rumored White House card in June, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Welch acknowledged the opportunity while maintaining focus on the immediate challenge.
“We’re planning to beat his body up, to cut his face, to punch his head, to potentially choke him, maybe take him down, ride him a little bit,” Welch said of their game plan. “We’re preparing for a 15-minute war.”
