UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley didn’t hold back when discussing his relationship with former idol Conor McGregor. O’Malley, who once looked up to McGregor as a source of inspiration, now describes their dynamic as strained, marked by jealousy and bitterness.
O’Malley has always been vocal about his admiration for Conor McGregor, often citing the Irishman’s meteoric rise in the UFC as a blueprint for his own career. However, as O’Malley climbed the ranks and eventually secured the bantamweight title, he began to sense a shift in McGregor’s attitude towards him.
“I thought it was good for a while,” O’Malley shared in an interview with ESPN MMA’s Brett Okamoto. “I would do something good and he would kind of say ‘yeah, I look good,’ something like that. He never wanted to give me that praise almost because you go back all my interviews like ‘I want to be like Conor, I want to do what Conor did, I want to do what Conor did.’ Now, I’m 29, defended the belt — something he’s never done by the way — and I just feel pure jealousy from it. It’s really weird because times change”.
The turning point in their relationship came when Conor McGregor made dismissive comments about O’Malley, which the latter perceived as a sign of jealousy. O’Malley pointed out that McGregor’s recent struggles in the octagon, including a string of losses and a long hiatus from fighting, have contributed to this bitterness.
Conor McGregor laughed off Sean O'Malley's claims that his positive tests for Ostarine were potentially due to cross-contamination.
O'Malley went OFF on McGregor in response 😳😬#UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/RF6Ji02QXC
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) July 23, 2024
“He’s a little bit older now, he’s on a [two]-fight losing streak, he just pulled out because of his toe — which is just not Conor-like. I feel a lot of jealousy from Conor McGregor, to be honest, which sucks,” O’Malley remarked.
Despite the tension, O’Malley remains focused on his career and hopes to avoid the pitfalls that have plagued McGregor. He expressed a desire to support up-and-coming fighters rather than harboring resentment towards them.
“I hope I don’t get bitter like that,” O’Malley said bluntly. “I hope once my career starts maybe doing what he is doing — well, I hope my career never does that — I hope once I’m a little bit older and see someone else coming up, that I’m excited for them, happy for them, almost maybe a mentor towards them. Rather than just jealous and bitter because they have spotlight and I don’t”.
Can Sean O’Malley Face Conor McGregor?
Interestingly, O’Malley didn’t rule out the possibility of facing Conor McGregor in the octagon. While he typically doesn’t call out fighters in higher weight classes, he believes he could take on McGregor given the latter’s current form.
“Speaking of big fights, that’s a fight I wouldn’t mind,” O’Malley said. “I really don’t call out big guys at 155, 170 because I know my role. I’m a 135er, but for me to be able to actually think I can beat Conor where he’s at right now, I’m just being honest”.
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