Dana White discloses records broken by UFC 292 as a testament of Sean O'Malley's massive star power - "He IS a star"
Sean O'Malley established himself as one of the most popular mixed martial artists on the UFC roster long before becoming bantamweight champion. UFC president Dana White recently revealed that he believes 'Sugar' is already a star while sharing the records set by the UFC 292 main event.
Speaking at the post-fight press conference, the promotional frontman stated:
"We broke the all-time gate record here. Bruce Springsteen just played here and did $5 million. We did over $7 million. The [TD] Garden. We're the biggest thing other than - the craziest f**king sports town on Earth - other than their team that plays here, we're the biggest thing that's ever been here so what does that tell you about O'Malley?"
He continued:
"This is also the biggest bantamweight championship fight ever on pay-per-view globally. It broke the record. Biggest bantamweight championship fight ever. I'm sure you saw the crowd at the end. O'Mally isn't going to be a star. He IS a star."
Check out Dana White's comments on Sean O'Malley's stardom below:
O'Malley was able to dethrone Aljamain Sterling with a second-round TKO, ending his two-and-a-half-year reign as bantamweight champion. 'Sugar' has previously shared his desire to be the next Conor McGregor and become the biggest star in mixed martial arts.
Dana White denies 'Dana White privilege' helped Sean O'Malley
Sean O'Malley has been accused of having 'Dana White privilege,' with fans and fighters claiming that the UFC president has helped him get opportunities. The promotional frontman denied such a privilege exists while speaking with the media at the UFC 292 post-fight press conference, stating:
"Dana White privilege. You don't become No.2 in the world without earning it, and I don't pick that, you people do. Then he went in there and delivered tonight. There is no such thing as Dana White privilege in this company. They can do that type of s**t in boxing. If you make it to the top here... when you get to a title shot, you've earned it here."
Check out Dana White's comments on Sean O'Malley below:
White had been accused of showing favoritism towards O'Malley as he received a title shot after being inactive for nearly a year. Sterling, who had defended his bantamweight title at UFC 288 in May, was forced to take the bout without a full camp.
Furthermore, many fans did not believe 'Sugar' should have won his last bout, where he was awarded a split decision victory against Petr Yan at UFC 280.