Sean O’Malley is a man of many talents, one of them being making absolutely ridiculous comments that often happen to be hilarious. Case in point, the UFC bantamweight champ once joked that former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans was his “real dad.”
Whether he’s trolling other fighters, calling out legends, or in this case, inventing family ties to UFC veterans, O’Malley always finds a way to keep things interesting.
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‘Homeoffight’, a page dedicated to mixed martial artists curated a series of throwbacks, pictures, videos, etc that O’Malley had posted on his Instagram over the years. This included photos with a series of funny captions including calling himself ‘Sean Jones’, conquering his inner b**ch, and more.
However, the one that stood out was O’Malley posting a picture with Rashad Evans with the caption, ‘ My real dad.’ The photo in question was posted a while ago, however, a few years on nothing has changed.
Ahead of his fight against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC: Noche, Suga posted a skit, calling Merab vertically challenged. Earlier in response to the Georgian getting hold of his jacket, O’Malley told his followers on social media to chill out since he was the one who had handed the garment assuming Merab was the coat boy.
Merab with O’Malley’s jacket
(via @ninamdrama, @SugaSeanMMA) pic.twitter.com/w64FqrqOnG
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) May 7, 2023
In his attempt to become a star like his idol Conor McGregor, O’Malley has often used social media to build himself a dynamic profile outside the octagon as well.
This strategic use of social media has also translated into lucrative opportunities, including merchandise sales and sponsorships. He has even claimed on different podcasts that his earnings from social media rival what he makes in the UFC. The 30-year-old has also made friends with influencers such as Adin Ross, Steve Will Do It and more which helps him reach a wider audience.
However, recently he had made the bold claim of going off the internet to focus more on getting back his bantamweight title.
O’Malley’s social media hiatus lasts a week
It’s safe to assume that pro fighters are far more disciplined than the average Joe. After all, they have dedicated their lives to training and preparing for fights. From strict diets to opponent-specific camps, they do it over and over again for years. O’Malley is no different.
Unless, of course, we are talking about social media. The former bantamweight champion is as addicted to this stuff as the rest of mankind. As his recovery from hip surgery continued, Suga posted a rather funny video of himself stretching and doing physical therapy.
Fans were of course quick to remind him that he was supposed to be doing all of this offline. They asked him if the title loss was still weighing heavy on him- “What did Merab do to you bro?”
— THE UFCGUY (@the_ufcguy) January 13, 2025
O’Malley will be fine though. For starters, he will be present at UFC 311 to watch Merab defend his title against Umar Nurmagomedov. And who knows? After the fight’s done, he might step inside the octagon and challenge whoever holds the title!