Sean O'Malley explains why he doesn't prefer to spar like Sean Strickland - "It's not good for my brain"
While talking about Sean Strickland's prowess for violence during sparring sessions, Sean O'Malley recently revealed why he prefers to avoid sparring while training.
'Sugar' asserted that his reluctance to spar is prompted by its physiological and psychological effects. Furthermore, he avoids fighting anyone for free.
However, he admitted that it is difficult at times, since it often reflects poorly on him. Sean O'Malley candidly offered insight into his preferences during a recent edition of the TimboSugarShow:
"I feel like I've gotten to a spot where I'm like, 'I'm not going to fight, dude. I'm not getting into a f***ing fistfight with this guy and I'm not getting paid.' I'm not doing it. It's not good for my brain. It's not good for my body. I think I only have a certain amount of scraps. I think everyone does and I'm not going to waste them at the gym."
Sean Strickland has earned a significant amount of infamy on the MMA circuit owing to his fearless approach to sparring. He has offered great details about his sessions with UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou over at Xtreme Couture.
Strickland has often shared glimpses of himself in action during sparring sessions with fans on social media.
Sean Strickland recently shared a video of one of his sparring sessions at Steel MMA & Fitness in San Diego. In the video, he is seen knocking his sparring partner down through the ropes with a left high kick.
Sean O'Malley recalls his nastiest sparring session
While speaking on the Full Send podcast back in December 2021, Sean O'Malley recalled a story from back when he had just started out as a fighter.
The 27-year-old revealed he sparred with someone who refused to believe he was a fighter at a UFC gym. However, the outcome of the session was something that he could never forget.
“He didn’t believe that I was a fighter. [Tim Welch] worked at this UFC gym, so they had a ring and we brought him over there, not in like a mean way, he wanted to fight me, not fight, he wanted to spar. I f***ing kicked him in the body and he s**t all over the mat. Literally s**t all over the mat. But we didn’t know, we kept going, kept fighting; I stepped in it, stepped in his s**t. It was horrible."
Watch Sean O'Malley's appearance on the Full Send podcast right here:
He further revealed that everyone believed that his dog had defecated on the mats, forcing him to clean it up. However, video tapes after the session revealed that it was his partner who was responsible for it.