Former WEC bantamweight champion Eddie Wineland has broken his silence after his brutal, knockout loss to “Sugar” Sean O’Malley at UFC 250.

Wineland and O’Malley met in the UFC 250 main card opener. Wineland, a true veteran of the sport, was widely viewed as O’Malley’s toughest test to date. In the end, however, the former WEC star fell victim to a blistering, one-punch KO in the first frame.

Speaking on Instagram on Sunday, Wineland commented on his loss to O’Malley, giving his young foe props for the performance.

“Just got my proper welcome to the Sugar Show,” Wineland stated in a video post. “Congratulations, Sean.”

With his loss to O’Malley, Eddie Wineland returns to the loss column after a second-round knockout of Grigorii Popov June of 2019. This victory was preceded by a pair of decision losses to Alejandro Perez and John Dodson. He’s now 24-14-1 overall.

Sean O’Malley, on the other hand, is now 12-0-0 as a pro. Prior to his win over Wineland, he picked up Octagon wins over Jose Alberto Quiñonez, Andre Soukhamthath, and Terrion Ware. The 25-year-old burst onto the scene in 2017, when he earned a UFC contract with a dazzling, first-round knockout of Alfred Khashakyan on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series.

What do you think is next for Sean O’Malley and Eddie Wineland after UFC 250?