“Suga” Sean O’Malley is taking a look at Conor McGregor during this fight week and learning from him.
Just days away from the biggest Pay-Per-View event of the summer, the fighters are putting together last-minute preparations. One of these preparations, or obligations is to speak to the media. The UFC held a media day yesterday for the fighters of UFC 264 and among them was Sean O’Malley.
O’Malley is getting ready to face a short-notice replacement in Kris Moutinho. This matchup will be featured on the main card and is an important one for O’Malley. The card of course will be headlined by the trilogy fight between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor, and no McGregor fight week would be complete unless all other fighters are asked about him.
O’Malley has been compared to McGregor and his flashy style inside the cage and out. This comparison doesn’t bother O’Malley and instead, he embraces it.
“I think the first time I watched him (McGregor) fight was against Max Holloway,” O’Malley said. “And it was just something about him, you’re like, damn, I wanna watch him fight again. I wanna continue to watch him. And I’ve watched every single interview he’s ever done. I’ve watched all of his fights multiple times. I love the way he carries himself.”
O’Malley A Conor McGregor Ripoff?
Conor McGregor has a way of getting the attention of the crowd and the media. His way of trash talk and style has made him popular even outside the sport itself. There is no fighter out there that can deny that McGregor has a great way of self-promoting, and although not all fighters can get away with that style, they can appreciate it.
“And a lot of people have said I’ve tried to be like Conor, I mean, you can have two people that have similar personalities,” O’Malley explained. “Like, ‘Oh, you’re trying to dress like Conor, you try to fight like Conor, you try to act like Conor, talk like Conor. It’s like, that’s not true at all.
“I definitely have taken bits and pieces and have learned from him, which I think is a smart thing to do, learn from someone who’s doing that successful and doing that well, but yeah, he’s definitely inspired me a ton: the way he carries himself, the way he handles pressure, the way he goes into these big fights. I’ve learned a lot from him.”
Being on the UFC 246 card gets O’Malley more recognition himself. It is bound to be the number one selling event of the year. Along with the perks of being on a McGregor fight card, O’Malley is looking forward to meeting the man himself.
“I’m pumped to meet him. I’ve never met him, so it’ll be cool,” he said.
Do you think O’Malley has the potential and star power to rival McGregor one day?
