Sean O’Malley is waiting for Conor McGregor to make his move so he can book his next fight. After a triumphant UFC 299, ‘Sugar’ is looking to defend his belt again this year, to establish his dominance as the king of the UFC Bantamweight division. Although O’Malley already seems to have an event in mind, whether he fights on that card depends on when McGregor decides to return to the octagon. The Irishman’s long-awaited return is something ‘Suga’ does not want to upstage.
Sean O’Malley successfully defended his title at UFC 299 against Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera. By beating Vera, he avenged his sole loss in his professional MMA career. In a recent interview with The Schmo on YouTube, O’Malley spoke about his intentions of fighting at The Sphere. However, he promised to leave the spot for ‘Mystic Mac’ if he decided to make his comeback. O’Malley said,
“If Conor headlines the sphere, I’m all for it he deserves it. But if he fights in June, July, or whenever he fights, that leaves me open for the sphere. I’m just tryna manifest that.”
Conor Mcgregor‘s return has been something that kept the minds of the UFC fanatics occupied since last year. After significant back and forth, ‘The Notorious’ stated that he would like to fight Michael Chandler on June 29. The Irishman further pointed out that he also fancied a second appearance for the year at The Sphere. This is why O’Malley felt that he must honor the icon and step aside.
‘Suga’ continued his conversation as he discussed how Merab Dvalishvili is next for him. Although initially, O’Malley went for the UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria, the Georgian has earned himself a deserved title shot, especially after his dominant victory over Henry Cejudo.
Interestingly, O’Malley might have demonstrated mutual respect for ‘The Notorious’, but he is coming for McGregor’s throne. Just last month, following his victory at UFC 299, he spoke about how he wants to become bigger than the belt, like the Irishman.
Sean O’Malley believes he will soon reach the levels of Conor McGregor in terms of stardom
Sean O’Malley claims he is slowly becoming the face of the UFC. Following his UFC 299 bout against Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera, he spoke about his plans going forward in the organization. The UFC Bantamweight Champion spoke about how he is on his way to superstardom, just like Conor McGregor in his prime. He said,
“I’m working my way up to one of the biggest names in the sport…I’m gonna get to a point to I don’t even need the belt I’m bigger than the belt…Conor was 45 pound champ fighting at 170..I wanna get there.”
Sean O’Malley believes he’ll eventually be “bigger than the belt” like Conor McGregor ⭐️ #UFC299
“I’m working my way up to one of the biggest names in the sport.” pic.twitter.com/nzBiF4M9Ew
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) March 10, 2024
The reporter reminded him that the UFC 299 event recorded the largest gate for a non-Conor McGregor event, which is what sparked the conversation of ‘Suga’ becoming a superstar. Sean O’Malley is definitely one of the biggest names in the sport currently. If he continues performing well, he does have a chance to become as big as McGregor.
