Sean O’Malley does not like Daniel Cormier’s commentary.
Some athletes can get a little sensitive when they’re being discussed in the media, and former UFC champion Daniel Cormier has been finding out more about this fact since his full-time move to broadcasting. A decent amount of fighters have taken things a little too personal as Cormier tries to commentate on their bouts, and that list includes Sean O’Malley.
The popular UFC bantamweight brought up his gripe with Cormier’s commentary during a recent appearance at The DC & RC Show.
“I have watched my fights back over and over again and every time I hear you and Joe say ‘I don’t know why they don’t kick his legs like Chito Vera did. It was very effective for him’. Oh god, it drives me crazy, DC!” O’Malley said. “That drives me crazy. Because the leg kick he landed wasn’t a good quality leg kick. My leg kicks I was landing on him were making him spin around in circles. His big toe hit the nerve when I was pulling out from a kick.”
Cormier tried to explain that as part of his job, he was just objectively trying to breakdown the situation, seeing O’Malley’s boxing stance and his history of leg injuries.
“I can’t speak for Rogan, (but) to my defense where else in the octagon have you shown that there’s an ability to hurt you?” Cormier responded. “So we’re telling the story right? We’re kind of pointing to the one area in which that something worked effectively. You got to remember, one time you did an interview sitting on the ground because your leg was hurt. So I’m calling back to these moments in the only times that I have seen you compromised.
“Outside of that, you have not done anything or shown many places in the Octagon where you’ve struggled, so it’s actually more of a compliment,” Cormier said. “I’m not taking any shots at Sean O’Malley. I’m just trying to see — because I got to tell the viewers at home — like what’s the other guy’s path.”
While Cormier may think he squashed the beef and explained how it was never personal, O’Malley apparently still thinks otherwise. Soon after their conversation on ESPN, O’Malley went on his podcast and said that he believes Cormier really wants him to lose.
He also thinks it has to do with Cormier’s former rival.
“I think DC and I, we get along, but it is what it is. I think he truly, deep down, wants to see me lose,” O’Malley said (HT: Sportskeeda). “For whatever it is. I already said it, it’s because I remind him of Jon Jones because I’m 6’6. DC wants to see me lose. It’s okay, I’m not mad about it, I get it. I’d want to see me lose too, you know what I mean?”
O’Malley is pretty tall for a bantamweight, but he’s actually 5-foot-11 and fights nothing like Jon Jones. So perhaps it’s more believable that Cormier is just doing his job, rather than him hating on anyone who happens to be tall for their division.