"I'm on my way" - Sean O'Malley has Conor McGregor in his sights as he looks to overtake the Irishman as the sport's biggest star
Conor McGregor is arguably the biggest name in all combat sports, let alone mixed martial arts. While he may divide fanbases with his actions, his global reach and showmanship are undeniable.
It's no secret that bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley has long admired 'The Notorious'. During a recent interview with Michael Bisping, 'Sugar' admitted that he hoped to one day eclipse the Irishman as the biggest star in the sport.
O'Malley, similar to McGregor, was a star long before he won the UFC title. Given his exciting style of fighting, as well as being just 29 years old, there is still plenty of time for the American to replicate the star power of one of his idols.
After successfully defending his 135-pound title against Marlon Vera in the main event of UFC 299 on Mar. 9, 'Sugar' spoke to Bisping about what he envisioned for his future. The champion said this:
"How my career has played out is just crazy. But I definitely wouldn't say that I'm surprised... I'm not even really close to where I'm gonna be. I've seen it since before I even got into the UFC, I'm gonna be bigger than Conor [McGregor]. People think that's a stab at Conor from me, but I'm probably the biggest Conor fan. It's just a good goal, a metric of where I want to be, and that's bigger than Conor. I'm not there yet, I'm on my way, but I'm really not even that close yet."
Watch Sean O'Malley discuss Conor McGregor's fame below from 5:05:
Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler confirmed? 'Iron' shares fresh update on the fight
Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler were announced as the coaches for season 31 of 'The Ultimate Fighter' at the beginning of 2023. The show aired between May 30 and Aug. 15, after which the pair were expected to do battle in the octagon.
However, delays to the Irishman's re-entry into the USADA testing pool appeared to halt his return.
In a recent turn of events, 'The Notorious' announced that his fight with Chandler would take place this summer, meaning the bout could occur between June and August.
'Iron' has now confirmed the former champion's statement during a recent interview with TMZ Sports, saying this:
"I've got the official announcement, it's happening this summer. I can't tell you the actual date but it's happening this summer."
Watch Michael Chandler's interview about fighting Conor McGregor below: