It always seemed inevitable that Sean O’Malley and Conor McGregor would beef one day, and now that beef has manifested itself. McGregor took to social media regarding the controversies surrounding Ryan Garcia, and O’Malley (a former associate of the man) was drawn into the mix.
Sean O’Malley most recently defended his UFC bantamweight title against Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera at UFC 299. He is currently riding a 6-0-1NC streak in the UFC and has cemented himself as a true bantamweight phenom.
O’Malley has accrued much suspicion, though, about his authenticity as a true combat sports star. McGregor went on a Twitter (now called X) rampage and called out Ryan Garcia for failing a test for PED’s around the time of his fight with Devin Haney. Since O’Malley failed a test for the same substance in 2019, ‘The Notorious’ did not hesitate to mention his name as well.
Conor McGregor and Sean O’Malley come to words over PEDs
After his Twitter escapades, McGregor would eventually calm down and try to pacify this newly created beef, saying that he “liked” O’Malley and ‘Suga’ was just an innocent bystander of his rage.
Sean O’Malley was asked about this rivalry and was very honest in his response. He claimed that he and McGregor had not spoken personally, but he holds no ill will towards the man he still considers a little bit of an idol.
“I jokingly on my podcast said we talked, we’re good,” O’Malley told MMA Fighting. “I haven’t talked to him since.”
“I’ll forever be a massive Conor fan. The biggest fan, watched his career play out, watched every single interview possible. I learned a ton from him. He’s a legend. That’s it. It is what it is.”
Regardless of the situation, fans can never fail to recognize what Conor McGregor did for the sport of MMA. Sean O’Malley continues to try and uphold this legacy, and his sentiment is a very sweet one.
What do you think about the way O’Malley has handled this “beef”?