Sean O’Malley has seen his biggest idol become a potential rival.
‘Suga’ is currently gearing up to defend his bantamweight title against streaking contender Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306 in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
O’Malley is headlining the first sports event at the Las Vegas SphereCredit: Getty
However, O’Malley is hoping to secure a much bigger fight in the near future.
The 29-year-old American has recently been angling for a scrap with former dual-weight Conor McGregor, despite the fact he’s about 50lbs lighter than him right now.
‘Notorious’ was an inspiration to O’Malley during his rise through the ranks.
The 135lb champion openly admitted he was a fan of McGregor, but insisted he was not trying to mimic the Irishman after being accused of copying his persona in 2021.
“I think the first time I watched him fight was against Max Holloway,” O’Malley said during a media day ahead of his fight with Kris Moutinho at UFC 264.
“There’s just something about him. Like, damn, I want to watch him fight again, I want to continue to watch. I’ve watched every single interview he’s ever done.
“I’ve watched all of his fights, multiple times. I love the way he carries himself.
“A lot of people say that I try to be like Conor. You can have two people that have similar personalities. [People say], ‘Oh you try to dress like Conor, you try to fight like Conor, you try to act like Conor, talk like Conor’ – that’s not true at all.
“I definitely have taken bits and pieces and learned from him, which is the smart thing to do. Learn from someone who is that successful and doing that well.
“But yeah, he’s definitely inspired me a ton. The way he carries himself. The way he handles pressure. The way he goes into these big fights. I’ve learned a lot from him.”
McGregor is the biggest star in MMA historyCredit: Zuffa LLC via Getty
O’Malley often spoke about how much he admired McGregorCredit: @sugasean – instagram
McGregor appreciated O’Malley’s kind words, and the two men appeared to be on good terms. They were even pictured together at an NFL game three years ago.
Unfortunately, their friendship came to a bitter end earlier this year.
The UFC’s biggest star went on a massive rant about Ryan Garcia when he tested positive for a banned substance – ostarine – after his win over Devin Haney in April.
O’Malley was previously banned from MMA when the same drug was found in his system. As a result, he got caught in the crossfire as McGregor launched an assault on ‘KingRy’.
McGregor initially showed remorse for dragging O’Malley into something that didn’t involve him – but then he mocked the 135lb UFC champion for attempting to explain why he failed a drug test in 2019.
O’Malley has fired back at ‘Mystic Mac’ with a scathing response about his ‘Greatest of All Time’ credentials and pointed out the glaring weaknesses in his game.
‘Miss the old Conor 🙁 you fell off bud,” O’Malley stated on X. “Still a fan tho. I actually don’t care you are 1-4 in your last 5 I’m stills excited to watch. Hope the toe is feeling better.
O’Malley isn’t afraid to trade barbs with the notorious trash talkerCredit: Getty Images – Getty
“Conor isn’t in anyone GOAT talk. Entertainment yes but skills, no. Has a really good left hand. S*** cardio. Weak jits. Decently athletic. Mentally weak. Drug addict, needs rehab. 1-4 last 5 fights.
“Still fan tho. Hope toe heals up.”
Just days later, O’Malley predicted that he would beat McGregor in a fight.
The 36-year-old is expected to face Michael Chandler during the first few months of 2025 and is much bigger than O’Malley, who still fancies his chances.
He wants to face McGregor after he’s dealt with ChandlerCredit: Getty
“I do believe I could beat Conor in a fight,” O’Malley insisted.
“I’m not just saying that. I think, stylistically, I could beat Conor in a fight.
“Not an easy fight. But I wouldn’t call out somebody if I didn’t think I could beat him in a fight.
“I think I beat Conor in a fight. At this point right now. He’s thick, but he’s short.”
UFC boss Dana White is very unlikely to sanction the bout. Although stranger things have happened, and McGregor vs O’Malley would certainly make for compelling viewing.
Only time will tell if O’Malley will ever get to share the Octagon with his former idol.