"I do like Sean"- Conor McGregor addresses "ostarine head" statement about Sean O'Malley, recalls meeting 'Sugar' at football stadium
Conor McGregor recently attempted to clear the air regarding his criticism of Sean O'Malley, emphasizing that he supports the rising bantamweight star.
McGregor initially blasted O'Malley after accusing boxer Ryan Garcia of using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). Garcia recently tested positive for Ostarine, a banned substance, before his victory over Devin Haney. McGregor advocated for a lifetime ban for Garcia and seemingly grouped O'Malley into the controversy.
However, 'The Notorious' has backtracked on his comments towards O'Malley. In a recent interview, the Irishman clarified his stance, admitting his appreciation for the bantamweight champ.
McGregor explained that his initial remarks stemmed from his frustration with Garcia's situation. Garcia's positive test and weight issues before his fight against Devin Haney angered McGregor and he lashed out, unintentionally bringing O'Malley into the controversy.
"I like Sean O'Malley... he kinda got caught in the crosshairs.”
McGregor went on to describe a past encounter with O'Malley at a California football stadium. He expressed his disapproval of O'Malley's cautious approach to selecting opponents, influenced by the "influencer boxing” trend:
"I said to him, you know, I owe you the best day of the world champion, because if you're the world champion, who cares who was against. You should go until you are the champion. You know, fight, fight everyone and anyone at any given moment."
McGregor acknowledged that O'Malley had since fought tougher opponents like Peter Yan, Chito Vera, and Aljamain Sterling, which impressed him. While reiterating his stance against PED use, McGregor complimented O'Malley's conduct towards him and even admitted to motivating O'Malley in his fighting career.
Check out Conor McGregor's comment on Sean O'Malley below:
Sean O'Malley open to a 155-pound fight with Conor McGregor
UFC bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley is willing to make a significant jump in weight for a dream matchup with the sport's biggest star, Conor McGregor.
O'Malley, who fights at 135 pounds, revealed on the Raw Talk podcast that he'd be open to facing McGregor at 155 pounds, a full two weight classes higher than his usual division.
He stated:
"Conor's one of the only guys I would fight that I'm like, 'That motherf**er's big, I would just fight him at 155. First of all, it's a huge payday. Second of all, it's Conor. That would be legendary. So, he's one of the rare guys I would fight that are way out of my weight class."[H/t: ESPN]
Check out Sean O'Malley's interview below: