Conor McGregor is a UFC star. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/thenotoriousmma
Owner of the biggest audience records in UFC history, Conor McGregor continues to be an inspiration for many athletes seeking to change their financial lives. However, for Sean O'Malley, the pursuit of the same popularity as the Notorious ended up not bringing the benefits the fighter sought, even though at one point the American managed to become the Ultimate bantamweight champion (up to 61,2 kg).
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Suga spoke about the subject in the latest edition of podcast'Between Rounds', produced by the fighter's own academy, MMA Lab, last Thursday (21). On that occasion,
"I feel like I lost myself, almost in a way. I was in that place where I wanted so much to be like Conor instead of being myself. In the first fight with Merab, I had already defended the belt once and I had the feeling that it needed to be big. I ended up forcing a rivalry with him," said the fighter.
Sean O'Malley admits he lost focus by wanting to be like Conor McGregor
“I feel like I lost, almost in a sense, where I wanted to be like Conor too much instead of being myself.”
(via @TheMMALAB ) pic.twitter.com/md5jGN6Zqy
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) August 25, 2025
Sean O'Malley has been compared to McGregor on several occasions
Sean O'Malley defended his belt at UFC 299. Photo Reproduction Instagram UFC Brazil
Charismatic and owner of great victories by brutal knockouts, O'Malley caught the attention of fans and media when he won a contract with the UFC by participating in the first season of the Dana White Contender Series, in 2017. Despite having gone through setbacks over the years, he became bantamweight champion (up to 61,2 kg) by knocking out aljamain sterling in the second round, in a similar move to the Irishman's victory against José Aldo in 2015.
Despite having successfully defended the belt against Marlon Vera, Suga is on a two-game losing streak to Merab Dvalishvili, and his future opponent is still uncertain.
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