"He's looking for stardom" - Chael Sonnen discusses Sean O'Malley's ambition to become bigger than Conor McGregor

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From left to right: Chael Sonnen, Sean O'Malley and Conor McGregor [Image Courtesy: @sugaseanmma on Instagram]

Sean O’Malley has drawn comparisons to Conor McGregor during his rise in the bantamweight division, owing to his ability on the mic, confident nature and of course, his highlight reel of incredible knockouts.

Chael Sonnen believes the popular 135-pounder has all the makings of a superstar and has commended the 27-year-old for his ambitions of surpassing McGregor's stardom.

'Sugar' has always been a fan of Conor McGregor and the duo seemingly have a good relationship. O'Malley already has a massive following, largely thanks to his performances inside the octagon and his self-promotion skills. In a video posted to his YouTube channel, Sonnen said:

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"Sean has, for the first time, kind of rolled out his goal. He’s looking for stardom… That’s a tough and tall order. And if anybody could achieve it’s the young guy with the beautiful record that everybody wants to see fight. I mean, it’s Sean."

The former UFC fighter added:

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"So if you’re chasing Conor, I’m all in. And I do know that if anybody could do it, boom - you found the guy. Not to mention he’s the first guy that set the goal to do it. Oh, by the way, he’s the guy that always has a plan and strategy. I’m wide open to the idea."

Watch Chael Sonnen discuss Sean O'Malley's rise and future below:

O'Malley is currently ranked No.13 in the UFC bantamweight division. His professional record stands at 15-1, comprising 11 knockouts and one submission. In his most recent outing, he secured a first-round finish against Raulian Paiva at UFC 269 in December last year.

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Sean O’Malley will look to extend KO streak at UFC 276 en route to emulating Conor McGregor

Sean O'Malley is riding a three-fight win streak in the bantamweight division. The popular 135-pounder is coming off consecutive knockout victories over Thomas Almeida, Kris Moutinho and Raulian Paiva. He is set to return to the octagon at UFC 276 on July 2 against bantamweight veteran Pedro Munhoz.

Pedro Munhoz is definitely a step-up in competition for Sean O'Malley. The durable Brazilian has never been finished in his professional career and is coming off back-to-back defeats to former champions Jose Aldo and Dominick Cruz. O'Malley is looking to become the first fighter to finish Munhoz as he looks to break into the top 10 at 135 pounds.

During his recent appearance on The MMA Hour, he said:

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"I think ‘Prelim Pedro’ is a great next step. He’s never been finished. I’m definitely looking to go in there put his lights out. I don’t want to go to a decision. Some people don’t mind going to a decision. Not me. I want to go out there and put his lights out."

Watch Sean O’Malley discuss Conor McGregor comparisons, preview UFC 276 and more below (Conor McGregor comparisons - 24:17):

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