UFC bantamweight champion Sean OโMalley once looked up to Conor McGregor. In recent times, the two men had exchanged insults. It started when โNotoriousโ touted a laughing emoji on a repost on X of โSugaโ claiming Ostarine contamination from sweat transfer. Ever since, OโMalley has turned heel on McGregor. Now, that has also included old rival Khabib Nurmagomedov in the mix.
Khabib Nurmagomedov defeated McGregor at UFC 229. UFC โMuted 6โ series | No Commentary (YT, @UFC) proved how expletive it got six years back. It is a rivalry that stretches on even now. McGregor stays at the ready to drag his rival down even today. Given the always active topic, Sean OโMalley weighed in on whoโd win between the two. It was โnotoriouslyโ in favor of the Dagestani lightweight.
[If there was ever a time he would have beaten Khabib] No, I don’t know if he’s [air quotes] good…[but] style. Yeah, style is a big thing…uhm, Khabib, ..Khabib could have fought a lot more people. Like, really established that, dominant. It’s difficult to say if Khabib is like that good, or with those guys matching up…it’s like tricky for Conor…
Sean OโMalley in an exclusive pre-fight interview last week; ๐ฅ: @RedCorner_MMA on YT
The 135-pound king does not mention Khabib Nurmagomedov being good or McGregor being bad. However, he alluded to how dominant Khabibโs run was and the fighting acumen he still holds. โThe Eagleโ is back to corneringย friendsย andย family, per AKA coach Javier Mendez. Nurmagomedov has had a great mind for fighting and pre-fight tactics. His camp predictions have come true most of the time.
It ranges from helping Islam Makhachev win the lightweight title to acutely planning for opponents. The knowledge he has appears far too significant. He has been spot-on in these. OโMalley thus thinks there was no chance that even a bloated sniper like McGregor could stand against Khabib. As such, for now, OโMalley has his own rivalry with him to look to.
Where does Sean OโMalley stand with Conor McGregor these days?
DWCS alum Sean OโMalley has risen to unprecedented fame. He even patterned his flamboyant neo-fandom style after Conor McGregorโs blueprint. Suga has often expressed that he wanted to surpass McGregor someday. Initially, even โNotoriousโ positioned himself as a mentor to him. OโMalleyโs UFC 292 right hook counter was very reminiscent of McGregorโs left hook at UFC 194, which he liked.
However, that would not last. Following his blueprint, โSugaโ even wanted to venture into crossover pro-sanction boxing with Ryan Garcia. Garcia (back to 24-1, 20KOs) facesย anย NYSAC-imposedย year banย and an overturn after testing positive for Ostarine in April.
McGregor jumped the gun on dissing both Garcia and โSugaโ despite previously supporting them. The verbal attack from McGregor stunned OโMalley. Accordingly, in posts on X, Sean OโMalley unleashed a nasty assessment of his former idolโs skills and aspirations.
Things havenโt been the same since. OโMalley is still on the blueprint, hoping to milk the Conor McGregor-Khabib rivalry against the latterโs cousin, Umar Nurmagomedov. However, this is where his buck stops, as for his admiration for him.