There’s no denying Conor McGregor’s impact on mixed martial arts (MMA).
Bursting onto the scene in Apr. 2013, “The Notorious” ignited an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) run that got off to the races unlike any other before it. McGregor’s rise to superstardom inspired several of today’s up-and-coming talents. Amongst the current crop doing work in their division is “Suga” Sean O’Malley, who feels McGregor’s importance can’t be understated.
“It’s crazy to look back on him when he first got in UFC, when he first fought Dustin Poirier,” O’Malley said on his YouTube channel. “It just shows you. That’s why that motherf—ker is so big. Just his character at the beginning was so fun and entertaining. He’s the G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time). When it comes to skillset, it’s hard to say who’s the G.O.A.T. Like, who’s the best, it’s hard to say.
“When it comes to who’s the G.O.A.T., who really blew up the sport, who took it to the next level, who was the most entertaining, who captivated the most people, Conor’s the G.O.A.T.,” he concluded. “And there’s not even anyone that close.”
O’Malley has been near flawless in his 17-fight career up to this point with only a single loss on his record. For his next time out, the Contender Series alum looks to make a massive splash atop the Bantamweight waters by taking out the former champion, Petr Yan, at UFC 280 on Oct. 22, 2022.
Scoring the upset will only enhance the star power O’Malley has already accrued at 27 years of age.
“I’m coming for it, I’m trying,” O’Malley said. “I think Paddy [Pimblett’s] doing a good job at it. I still got years to do it and Conor’s probably getting closer to being done than anything.”