Sean O'Malley says Conor McGregor is "jealous and bitter" and they're not on great terms: "When your idols turn into rivals"
Sean O'Malley's relationship with former idol Conor McGregor has shifted dramatically, and the UFC bantamweight champion now views the dynamic through a competitive lens. His past admiration has transformed into a competitive drive fueled by some comments by the Irishman that irked him.
During his ascent as a contender in the bantamweight ranks, O'Malley was inspired by McGregor's rise in the sport and harbored aspirations to mirror the success of 'The Notorious'. However, 'Suga' perceived an underlying tone of dismissal from McGregor even when he praised the American for his exploits inside the octagon.
O'Malley exhausted patience when McGregor launched an X post aimed at Ryan Garcia amid reports of the boxer failing drug tests. McGregor also referenced O'Malley's past with the same banned substance ostarine, which led to a six-month ban for the 135-pound champion.
During a recent sit-down interview with ESPN MMA’s Brett Okamoto, O'Malley shed light on his relationship with McGregor, claiming that the Irishman is being "bitter and jealous":
"I'm 29, and defended the belt, something he's never done by the way... And I just feel pure jealousy from it. It's really weird because times change. I hope I don't get bitter like that... I hope once I'm a little bit older and see someone else coming up, that I'm excited for them, happy for them, and almost maybe a mentor towards them. Rather than just jealous and bitter because they have spotlight and I don't."
Speaking about a potential clash with McGregor, O'Malley added:
"Speaking of big fights, that's a fight I wouldn't mind. I really don't call out big guys at 155, or 170 because I know my role. I'm a 135er, but for me to be able to actually think I can beat Conor where he's at right now, I'm just being honest. I'm just saying the truth, I believe I can beat Conor McGregor. When your idols turn to rivals is a real thing."
Catch Sean O'Malley's comments below (12:20):
Sean O'Malley claims Conor McGregor could never beat Khabib Nurmagomedov
Conor McGregor seemingly still holds on to the loss against bitter rival Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229. 'The Notorious' succumbed to a fourth-round submission defeat against the Dagestani and has accumulated a 1-2 record following the setback. The fight remains the UFC's highest-selling pay-per-view of all time.
UFC CEO Dana White initially tried to lure Nurmagomedov into considering a rematch against McGregor despite the Russian retiring from the sport. While it can be said that the ship has sailed on the potential rematch, talks of how the rematch would transpire remain a fascinating subject.
However, Sean O'Malley, during a recent interview with Red Corner MMA, claimed that McGregor could never defeat Nurmagomedov. He said:
"No [McGregor cannot beat Nurmagomedov]… I don’t know if he’s too good… Style is a big thing."
Check out the X post below: