Sean O’Malley‘s meteoric rise to the top of UFC is often compared to the legendary Conor McGregor. Both fighters have much in common, from their Irish heritage to knockout powers. The UFC seriously sees O’Malley as a star, which shows in him getting favorable treatments. However, the question is how close O’Malley is in terms of superstardom in comparison to McGregor.
Sean O’Malley is ready to headline his biggest pay-per-view event, Noche UFC, this weekend at the iconic Las Vegas Sphere. ‘Suga’ will defend his UFC bantamweight title for the second time against top contender Merab Dvalishvili. Going into the fight, ‘Suga’ discussed his comparisons with McGregor and presented some interesting views.
Yeah, I think I’m very close. I think Conor’s still got one more big fight in him because of the big question mark. Like, can Conor come back? Can he actually beat Chandler?
Sean O’Malley via Noche UFC Media Day
O’Malley stated that if McGregor goes out there and loses another fight, it will definitely affect his star power. On record, it would be McGregor’s fourth loss in his last five MMA bouts. O’Malley mentioned that, unlike McGregor, he’s very active and brings entertaining bouts as often as possible.
O’Malley has always been a fan of McGregor and took a lot of inspiration from the Irishman. The rift between both superstars started when McGregor mocked the champion during one of his infamous rants. O’Malley was eager to retaliate and did so by calling McGregor a ‘drug addict’ who was mentally weak. The bantamweight champion also promised to do everything McGregor failed to do in the UFC.
UFC CEO draws comparison between Sean O’Malley and Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor benefited Dana White by increasing UFC’s revenue and popularity through promotion, charisma, and fighting prowess. Like his fight with Floyd Mayweather, his crossover appeal attracted public attention and propelled the UFC’s explosive expansion in recent years.
Dana White on Sean O’Malley and Conor McGregor (via Imago)After McGregor’s downfall and inactivity, White has always searched for the next big superstar. There are some names that stand out more than the rest.
New fighters like Islam Makhachev and Alex Pereira have frequently pulled in big pay-per-view numbers. According to White, O’Malley is the closest to McGregor.
In this sport, if you have what Sean O’Malley has and you go out and win big fights. O’Malley’s a smart kid like Conor, too. He gets it. I don’t know if you saw him on First Take today, but, he gets it
Dana White via Contender Series presser
Dana White sees similarities between Sean O’Malley and Conor McGregor entering #UFC306.
“O’Malley’s a smart kid like Conor, too. He gets it. I don’t know if you saw him on First Take today, but, he gets it.” pic.twitter.com/9VU5KrgPH0
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) September 11, 2024
Recently, O’Malley mentioned that he would fight Umar Nurmagomedov to show McGregor how to beat someone from Team Khabib. O’Malley’s newfound animosity towards Conor McGregor is a big motivating factor for the champion to push his limits. Successfully defending his belt this weekend at Noche UFC will be a big step towards it.
