Former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley, who is a massive Conor McGregor fan, has revealed how McGregor fires him up before every fight.

O’Malley last locked horns with Aiemann Zahabi at the White House, where the former scored a highlight-reel knockout to snap the Canadian fighter’s seven-fight winning streak.

WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 14: Sean O’Malley connects against Aiemann Zahabi of Canada in a bantamweight fight during the UFC Freedom 250 event on the South Lawn at the White House on June 14, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

In a recent video, “Suga” confessed he loves the way McGregor handles pressure more than anybody in the game, which is why he prefers to rewatch McGregor’s old fights before stepping inside the octagon. Even before his White House bout, O’Malley was watching a Conor McGregor documentary. Explaining how much watching “The Notorious” has helped him evolve and stay fired up, he said:

“On every single fight day, we’re watching Conor McGregor, whether it’s his old fights or documentaries. I find so much inspiration and motivation from other athletes, but specifically from Conor and his rise. I tune into it every single fight day. He handles pressure better than anybody… It gets me fired up.”

Check out Sean O’Malley’s comments below:

When Sean O’Malley admitted that aiming to become bigger than Conor McGregor was a “delusional idea”

Merab Dvalishvili dethroned Sean O’Malley in 2024. However, O’Malley was granted an immediate title rematch, thanks to ‘Dana White privilege,’ in which “The Machine” submitted him.

“Suga” saw some of his aura fade after the back-to-back losses to the Georgian phenom.

America’s mixed martial artist Sean O’Malley poses before entering the White House before his bantamweight bout with Canada’s mixed martial artist Aiemann Zahabi, during UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn of the White House, in Washington, DC, on June 14, 2026. (Photo by Jacquelyn Martin / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

However, earlier this year, he snapped his losing streak by beating Song Yadong at UFC 324 and then followed it up with a knockout win over Aiemann Zahabi at UFC Freedom 250.

Before the aforementioned Yadong bout, “Suga” was on a two-fight losing skid, during which he admitted he still wants to be the “biggest star in the UFC,” but surpassing the company’s biggest draw, McGregor, in terms of stardom is a “delusional idea.” He told UFC on TNT Sports:

“I said in interviews I’m going to be bigger than Conor. It was a kind of delusional idea because Conor is massive, but there’s still a path for me to get to that – maybe not that level, but I want to be the biggest star in the UFC at one point.”

Check out Sean O’Malley’s comments below:

Subham

Subham is a writer and editor with experience spanning MMA, Health & Fitness, true crime, and pop culture. He has previously worked with Sportskeeda MMA, SK True Crime, and SK Pop, Movies, and Shows.
He currently covers the UFC for LowKickMMA and MMA Pros Picks.