Sean O'Malley has become one of the UFC's most popular fighters, and his unconventional approach to keeping his ears looking good is a prime example of why he's gained such a following.
O'Malley recently invited streamer N3on to his gym for a training session. As they were getting lunch together, N3on asked O'Malley how he was able to avoid getting cauliflower ear after a lengthy career that includes 16 UFC fights. The former Bantamweight joked that he avoids wrestling entirely in his fights.
Do I look like I know how to wrestle? You get that from wrestling. I don’t wrestle. Not me. I never wrestled a day in my life.
When an opponent gets on top of him, instead of fighting back, he just absorbs the damage until the end of the round.
I lay there and get beat up until the end of the round. You don’t watch my fights?
Sean O'Malley has faced several elite grapplers throughout his UFC career, most notably in back-to-back fights with Merab Dvalishvili that spanned a combined eight rounds. O'Malley dropped both bouts — a unanimous decision loss at UFC 306 in September 2024 when Dvalishvili stripped him of the bantamweight title, and a third-round submission defeat in the rematch at UFC 316 in June 2025.