After months of back-and-forth banter and some serious beef, it looks like Conor McGregor has finally changed his tune about Sean O’Malley. In a recent stream, McGregor, who had been pretty dismissive of O’Malley for a while, expressed his support, saying he wants to see O’Malley back in action and believes he can reclaim his title.
O’Malley had a simple reaction to McGregor’s shift in attitude, responding with just three words that summed up his feelings perfectly. It’s a surprising turn in their rivalry, and fans are eager to see how this newfound respect will play out over the next few months.
The rivalry between the two men started when the Irishman, while calling out boxer Ryan Garcia for the use of ostarine, a PED for his Devin Haney fight, had also threatened to ride O’Malley like an ostrich.
That feud was dying an unremarkable death when O’Malley stated that he felt he was on track to be a bigger star for the UFC than McGregor.
Naturally, ‘The Notorious’ did not take this lying down and fired back at O’Malley. While fans thought it would have been a one time thing it turned out to be a regular occurrence.
Over the next few months, both McGregor and O’Malley fired shots at each other, publicly calling out each other’s shortcomings.
However, now that O’Malley is not the champion anymore, ‘The Notorious’ seems to have a more empathetic view towards him. In a recent stream where fans suspect McGregor was under the influence of something given his actions and words, the Irish superstar was uncharacteristically complementary of O’Malley.
O’Malley reacted to it on his recent podcast with just three words. He said,
“What is life”
Sean O’Malley believes he will be as big as Conor McGregor by the end of 2024
/ESPN MMA pic.twitter.com/3WRe2rrW3Y
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) January 4, 2024
Unlike O’Malley who will be out for a while due to injury, McGregor seems fit enough for a comeback. UFC president Dana White however, seems to be playing the cards close to his chest.
White reveals matchmaking condition for McGregor
Conor McGregor won’t know who he’s fighting in his UFC return until he’s actually ready to step back in the Octagon. UFC CEO Dana White recently addressed the situation, noting that potential opponents like Michael Chandler and Charles Oliveira won’t be considered until McGregor has a solid comeback date.
Chandler was initially set to welcome McGregor back to the fight scene, but with delays and a canceled bout at UFC 303, he opted for a rematch with Oliveira instead.
So, needless to say, when the question of who the Irishman faces next, White, understanding the flaky nature of that answer, emphasized, “It’s going to be determined when Conor comes back”.
McGregor is known to have reached out to White recently, mentioning he’s training in New York. However, after a string of injuries and setbacks, including a broken pinky toe, it seems McGregor’s return is pushed to 2025. Until he commits to a date, the UFC won’t be making any matchups for the former two-division champ.
