Former bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley and Irishman Conor McGregor are no longer on bad terms.
The two were initially close when O’Malley broke into the scene, as fans viewed them as similar—both in fighting style and flashy appearance. O’Malley also watched a lot of McGregor’s fights for inspiration. However, the two soon got into an altercation.
The clash began when McGregor mentioned O’Malley alongside boxer Ryan Garcia after Garcia tested positive for the same banned substance O’Malley did when his win against Devin Haney was overturned to a no-contest. This didn’t sit well with O’Malley, and the two exchanged words and insults online. It appears they have finally reached an impasse and squashed their beef, as McGregor recently commented on how excited he is for O’Malley’s rematch with Merab Dvalishvili.
“Hell yeah, I’ll take it,” O’Malley said, reacting to McGregor’s comments during UFC 316 media day. “I’ll forever be a huge Conor fan.
“I feel grateful to be able to watch his come-up in my generation—I watched it happen. I think we’ll look back, and he had one of the craziest careers. It’s cool to be able to watch it happen while I was getting into the UFC and everything. I’m pumped the relationship is back to good.”
“I’ve always taken inspiration from Conor fights,” O’Malley said. “I’ve watched Conor fights more than probably any [fights]—well, I watch my fights more—but I’ve watched a lot of Conor fights.”
Although he remains a huge fan of McGregor, “Suga” revealed he has also been watching other rematches and past performances to gain inspiration as he attempts to knock off Dvalishvili and reclaim the bantamweight title.
“So I was watching Conor-Nate — I’ve just been watching a bunch of fights. We just have cameras recording so much, I didn’t realize that was a moment that got captured,” O’Malley said. “I’ve been watching a bunch of fights.
“I’ve been watching some rematches—watched Chuck [Liddell] versus Randy [Couture]. I’ve never watched Chuck Liddell fights. Obviously, I knew who he was, but I’ve never [watched his fights]. So I’ve been watching a lot of old-school fights; it’s been cool.”
Overall, he still remains a staunch supporter of the Irishman and continues to draw inspiration from him as he prepares to face his former rival and retrieve his belt.
“I’ve always taken inspiration from Conor fights,” O’Malley said. “I’ve watched Conor fights more than probably any [fights]—well, I watch my fights more—but I’ve watched a lot of Conor fights.”
