Sean O’Malley became the UFC bantamweight champion at UFC 292 defeating the former champion Aljamain Sterling via TKO. It is no secret that Sean O’Malley is a big fan of none other than the man himself “The Notorious” Conor McGregor, Sean in his past interviews has said that Conor is an inspiration to him, and Suga’s trash-talking prowess has reminded many of the Irish.
However, after finally getting his hand on UFC gold, Sean seems to have brought about a change in his approach and has attempted to distance himself from the Mystic Mac, albeit, fans have not stopped making comparisons between the two.
Sean O’Malley wins first UFC title
Sean O’Malley on 20th August 2023 defeated Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292 to become the UFC Bantamweight champion at the TD Garden of Boston. Prior to his fight, Sean promised that he will emerge victorious against the former title holder Aljamain Sterling and it is safe to say he delivered on his promise.
Sean O’Malley won the fight with a technical knockout in the second round. He knocked down Sterling within 51 seconds of the second round with a beautiful right counter followed by big hammer fists after which the referee stopped the fight.
Fans draw comparisons between Sean O’Malley and Conor McGregor
After emerging as the new bantamweight champion, Sean O’Malley released a video on his X (former Twitter) in which he was seen celebrating his win by smoking in front of the mirror with the title belt on his left shoulder, which apparantly The notorious MMA has done before.
— Sean O'Malley (@SugaSeanMMA) August 20, 2023
Fans were quick to react to the post by Sean O’Malley. Some said that he’s mimicking Conor McGregor whereas some called him “Conor 2.0, and I’m here for it.” Some fans also took it humorously and posted memes on the situation.
— ♟️Syed Uzair Ul Haq♦️سید عزیر الحق♟️ (@TheSyedHaq) August 20, 2023
This isn’t the first time fans or other players have accused him of copying Conor, in his interview given in 2021 O’Malley said, “A lot of people say that I try to be like Conor. You can have two people that have similar personalities. [People say], ‘Oh you try to dress like Conor, you try to fight like Conor, you try to act like Conor, talk like Conor’ — that’s not true at all.”
“I definitely have taken bits and pieces and learned from him, which is the smart thing to do. Learn from someone who is that successful and doing that well. But yeah he’s definitely inspired me a ton. The way he carries himself. The way he handles pressure. The way he goes into these big fights. I’ve learned a lot from him,” he added.
What are your thoughts about Sean O’Malley and Conor McGregor, do you think the bantamweight champion copies The Notorious MMA? Tell us below!
