Home Sport When Sean O’Malley admitted he missed watching Conor McGregor fight: “You feel different when he walks out”

When Sean O’Malley admitted he missed watching Conor McGregor fight: “You feel different when he walks out”

Sport — 25/08/2024 · 0 Comment

Sean O’Malley once confessed to longing for the spectacle of a Conor McGregor fight. An older clip of Sugar speaking highly of ‘The Notorious’ is available on YouTube. In it, the now-reigning UFC bantamweight champion describes the emotions he experiences when watching McGregor fight.

Not only did O’Malley express a desire to watch the former fight, but he also praised the entertainment value of everything attached to McGregor’s events, press conferences included. This feeling, ‘Sugar’ said, was spurred on by him having viewed a compilation of McGregor’s greatest UFC moments.

“Dude, I miss Conor [McGregor]. I was watching the ‘Best of’ moments of Conor vs. Chad [Mendes], Conor vs. José [Aldo], Conor vs. Cowboy [Donald Cerrone]. Dude, the press conferences.”

Moreover, O’Malley expressed admiration for McGregor, highlighting just how much the Irishman has elevated the sport of MMA, becoming its biggest-ever star and enthroning himself as the first simultaneous two-division champion in UFC history.

“Dude, even still watching it is motivational, inspiring. Just like… F***, that motherf***er took the sport to a new level. You feel different when he walks out, when he hits his press conferences, at the weigh-ins. Everything’s different, dude.”

Check out Sean O’Malley‘s praise for Conor McGregor:

It is no secret that O’Malley idolized McGregor, even looking to emulate the Irishman’s career path en route to crowning himself MMA’s new superstar. In fact, after dethroning Aljamain Sterling as UFC bantamweight champion at UFC 292 in late 2023, ‘Sugar’ hoped to serve as the co-main event of a McGregor card.

Unfortunately, ‘The Notorious’ expected return bout with Michael Chandler was pushed back more and more, and it is now 2024, with Dana White claiming that the Irishman is unlikely to fight this year.

Sean O’Malley and Conor McGregor no longer see eye to eye

While Sean O’Malley once held Conor McGregor in the highest esteem and the gold standard for MMA, the two have been embroiled in a bitter feud as of late. Their mutual animosity stems from the Irishman lumping ‘Sugar’ with Ryan Garcia in an X/Twitter rant about performance-enhancing drug use in combat sports.

Garcia, for context, tested positive for ostarine, a banned substance which O’Malley also tested positive for in the past. In the since-deleted tweet, McGregor took aim at both men. Naturally, O’Malley fired back, and the two have engaged in back-and-forths on social media ever since.

O’Malley frequently pokes fun at McGregor’s alleged recreational drug use and rough patch inside the octagon. Unfortunately, given the amount of pride both men have, a reconciliation seems unlikely.