Sean O’Malley looked absolutely phenomenal at March’s UFC 248, earning a “Performance of the Night” bonus with a first-round TKO over Jose Quinonez.

While he admits the showing was just about flawless, O’Malley said it didn’t change his commitment to constant evolution.

“As far as the performance, I don’t think it could have really went any better,” O’Malley told MMA Junkie. “But I know I still need to improve. I want to be world champ – I don’t want to just win a couple fights, lose some fights, win. I want to keep winning. I believe I can keep winning and fighting better guys.

“You’re never not going to be able to improve, so I was just back to the drawing board and getting better.”

It was an impressive return to action for O’Malley following an extended legal battle with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and the Nevada Athletic Commission. The 25-year-old bantamweight hardly missed a beat, picking up right where he left off two years earlier.

Now O’Malley (11-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) returns again just three months later to face Eddie Wineland (24-13-1 MMA, 6-7 UFC) at Saturday’s UFC 250, which takes place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

O’Malley insists his quick return isn’t about trying to make up for lost revenue during his two years on the sidelines but it simply hoping to keep as busy as possible.

“The finances – I’m still waiting for my fifty grand to hit from that last fight, so I’m going to have two of them on the way,” O’Malley said. “No, really, if we didn’t have the opportunity to fight for as much money as we do, I’d still be fighting. I love fighting. It’s my passion.

“I’ve had over 30 fights since I was 16 years old, whether kickboxing, boxing or MMA. Amateur and pro, I’ve had over 30 fights, and I’m used to fighting every couple of months. That’s just how my entire career has been, besides those two years that I didn’t get to. So being able to fight every couple of months is ideal for me.”

Of course, this past three months was different than just about any 90-day stretch in memory. The challenges of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic have changed life for just about everyone around the globe, but O’Malley said he really didn’t feel much of an impact, especially since UFC president Dana White had told him in March to stay ready for a quick return.

“As far as my daily schedule, nothing changed,” O’Malley said. “I game, I train and I chill. Nothing in my reality was different. I’m super focused on improving after that last fight. I’ve just got to get better. I knew I was going to fight probably in June because that’s what I told the UFC I wanted to do, and Dana was getting those fights going, so I planned on fighting in June, and I’ve been ready to go for a while.”

In Wineland, O’Malley faces a fighter 10 years his senior, and one who is a former WEC champion. It’s potentially a good test for O’Malley moving forward, but feels supremely confident.

“I definitely knew who he was,” O’Malley said of his opponent. “I knew the tattoos and him getting kicked in the head by Renan Barao. I didn’t know too much about him, so I went and watched a little bit of a fight I think he had with Frankie Saenz, and I just watched about two minutes of it, and I just saw myself knocking him out. It was an easy guess.

“I’m ready to go to war. I’m ready for 15 minutes, but I have a feeling like I did when I fought David Nuzzo that a crazy knockout is coming. I feel like it’s the perfect opportunity to really make some noise. I have a ton of finishes that I haven’t gotten to show yet, so I’m excited. I think I’m going to get in there and get the job done.”

For the man known as “Sugar,” the result would certainly be a big one, especially given the amount of attention on the bantamweight division at UFC 250. Key matchups of Cory Sandhagen vs. Aljamain Sterling and Raphael Assuncao vs. Cody Garbrandt will certainly give the division a new look after UFC 250, but O’Malley said he’s not overly worried about where he might end up after the card.

“I don’t think the rankings really make too much sense, and I don’t think that they’re really too big of a deal whether Im ranked 15, 14, 8,” O’Malley said. “They don’t really always matter, so I think with my performances that I’m going to continue to have and the following I’m continuing to grow, that says more than the rankings.”

O’Malley certainly has the type of fan support that could easily see himself skip ahead of a fighter or two for big opportunities. With the spotlight on him continuing to grow, O’Malley insists he’s in no rush to take anything before it’s deserved.

But if his performances continue to impress, there will be little question.

“I feel like I’m really good about just going with the flow and not expecting anything to happen,” O’Malley said. “I remember doing an interview when I was with LFA saying I’m not really worried about getting signed to the UFC until I’m 25 years old, 26 years old. I’m not expecting anything, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if a belt was wrapped around my waist way faster than I even expect. I just know I need to go out there and perform, and that literally pretty much consumes all my energy: what I need to get the job done this Saturday night.”

And O’Malley believes the job is going to get done in impressive fashion.

“First-round knockout, for sure,” O’Malley said. “Absolutely – 100 percent.”