- Sean O’Malley explained why a move up to the 145 and 155-pound division wouldn’t be a problem for him
- “Sugar” revealed how things always get scary whenever he cuts weight at the 135-pound division
No. 2 bantamweight contender Sean O’Malley is confident he could easily move up to 155 and also opened up about the horrors of his weight cutting as a 135-pounder.
Bulking is easy
During a recent appearance on Flagrant, “Sugar” said he walks around 158 pounds and a move to the featherweight and lightweight division is not much of a challenge for him.
“145, 155… up there with some big bastards,” O’Malley said. “[I walk around at] 158 and I eat clean all year round. I ate a pretty clean diet all year round. If I want to start lifting, bulking up, eating more, I get up to I feel like I put on some weight pretty easily.”
Cutting is no walk in the park
However, O’Malley pointed out that while bulking is easy, maintaining a fit and healthy 135-pound body is a complete opposite.
“It’s not easy. It’s f**king not easy,” he stressed. “I’ll die hard like I diet year round as far as like eating clean yeah but I can eat a little bit more but 10 weeks out from fight down, I’m dialing it in, eating a little bit like you’re watching my calorie intake more so it does take a level of discipline.”
O’Malley added that he beefs up to 158 after weigh-ins and usually enters the cage at around 153 to 154. It became a routine for him but O’Malley described how “scary” and “terrifying” it is to cut the last few pounds the night before fight night.
“I’ll be up to 158 that night [after weigh-ins], a lot of water, lots of liquids and carbs and eating good but the day at the actual time, then you sh*t a couple times, then you know, the dad walked into the cage around 154, 153,” O’Malley revealed.
“[If] Thursday which is today right now [and tomorrow night is fight night], so those guys are probably sipping minimal water, like if you have to drink some water, you will be [doing] press conference today, Thursday I got a press conference, so I’ll I would do some coffee, just a little bit of caffeine get me trying to spit some sh*t on the mic a little bit,” he continued.
“A little bit of water but not too much because you know you’re gonna have to go cut that weight tonight so Thursday night’s where you’re gonna cut the majority of the weight, eight, nine, ten pounds and then in the morning, everyone does it different, some people cut it all tonight and then you don’t sleep, you will not f**king sleep, really Thursday night, no. Because you’re f**king hungry, you’re thirsty, your body’s just like in starvation mode, you’re kind of freaking out. I always talk to my body… almost like a spiritual thing… like on some meditation… It’s scary. It gets scary to a point like when you’re cutting those last few pounds, you feel like you’re dying. It’s terrifying like if you’ve never done it before it’s like a scary feeling, your heart rate’s going real high but yeah for the most part I’ll cut most of the weight tonight and then I’ll wake up in the morning cut three four pounds so I can sleep a little bit.”
UFC president Dana White has already confirmed that O’Malley will be Aljamain Sterling’s next title challenger. It is yet to be known how things would play out after their title fight but “Sugar” already let the UFC know about his plan to compete at 145 soon.