Sean O’Malley and his ongoing rivalry with Conor McGregor has reached a new level, with the UFC bantamweight champ seemingly setting his sights on a potential showdown with the Irish superstar.
O’Malley has openly praised McGregor in the past, acknowledging the former two-weight champion’s influence and his role in popularizing MMA. However, their relationship took a turn after McGregor criticized O’Malley over drug testing issues.
Recently, O’Malley was frustrated by McGregor’s reaction to his explanation for a failed drug test in 2019. O’Malley had attributed the positive test to sweat transfer, a claim McGregor mocked with a dismissive laugh. This response, according to O’Malley, only added fuel to the fire.
UFC Bantamweight Champion Sean O’Malley Scolds Conor McGregor
On a recent episode of the Timbo and Sugar Show, O’Malley vented his frustration: “Conor does his little bump (sniffs) and puts a laughing face… That one drove me a little crazy, I’m like really motherf*****, this is science.”
O’Malley’s head coach, Tim Welch, weighed in on the situation, suggesting that McGregor’s animosity towards O’Malley stems from jealousy. Welch said, “He’s a jealous b****, that’s what it is, he’s on drugs. I will chirp Conor because I do believe I can beat Conor in a fight. I’m not just saying that, I think stylistically I could beat Conor in a fight, not an easy fight, but I wouldn’t call out somebody if I didn’t think I could beat them in a fight… He’s thick but he’s short.”
Despite O’Malley’s confidence, a fight between him and McGregor remains uncertain, though it would undoubtedly be a blockbuster bout. For now, O’Malley’s focus is on his upcoming title defence against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306.
The fight was officially announced last week and will headline a significant event at the Sphere in Las Vegas. After the announcement, both O’Malley and Dvalishvili were flown out to Vegas for a series of face-offs.
O’Malley to Fight Merab Dvalishvili
Sean O’Malley recounted the experience: “Me and Merabby had like seven or eight face-offs… They just wanted videos without us talking but we were just chirping the whole time. He told me to tell you (Welch) to shut the f*** up or something and he’s going to slap you… He’s a nice little guy.”
Reflecting on the opportunity to headline the event, O’Malley said, “It feels good, it feels right. I think the UFC made the right decision. I’m going to put on a masterful performance.”
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images and Embed from Getty Images
