Sean O’Malley is ready to step up and be the superstar the UFC fans want.
The UFC is filled with the best fighters from all around the world. The best men and women are signed to this promotion and they have the opportunity to make themselves stars in the world of MMA. Why is it though that some do not make the level of stardom that others do? Some have just a few fights and get released, and some are in the UFC for years but are never really well-known in the mainstream. There could be many reasons for this, lack of skills, lack of personality, or consciously not wanting to step into the limelight. None of these can be said about Sean O’Malley.
Since joining the UFC back in 2017, he has shown that he has the skills, the personality, and the desire to step into the limelight. He is already one of the biggest stars on the roster and wants to be a superstar. For many fighters, getting a UFC belt is a ticket to fame and fortune, but for O’Malley, he might not even need that. He feels that a win over former champion Petr Yan at UFC 280 will set him on a course to superstardom in no time.
Sean O’Malley feels he can be on the level of Conor McGregor following a win at UFC 280
“Usually, I’d say people are there hoping I don’t win. But to be honest, I would say the majority of people, people that think I won’t win, actually want me to win,” he said on the DC and RC Show. “People want a superstar you know, there’s really no one in UFC right now that that is that Conor level. I go out there and beat Petr in spectacular fashion, I’m climbing, I’m not going to be there yet and I know that but I’m climbing to become that guy. I want to be that guy.”
McGregor is clearly the most successful MMA fighter in the world. He has transcended his stardom from inside the cage to the mainstream. This is a plan that O’Malley would like to follow. He feels that the UFC fans want that for him as well.
“I think the UFC fans want that, they want somebody that they can get super, super excited about. So I think most people think I’m gonna lose, but I think majority of people want me to go out there and win, which is rare,” he said. “I don’t usually think that but I do think in this case, that’s what it is.”
In order to elevate to this level, part one of the plan must go into effect, he must defeat Yan. That bout will be featured on the main event of the UFC 280 fight card. The event goes down on Oct. 22 live from Abu Dhabi and will be headlined by a lightweight title fight between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev.
Watch the entire interview here:
