How do you measure a UFC fighter’s stardom? Well, apart from having a massive fan base, references in pop culture also help those so-called stars in Dana White‘s promotion. That is exactly what happened with former bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley, who got a shout-out from arguably the greatest rap artist in history, Eminem. However, the fight fans did not take it too kindly.
As we all know, Emine, who goes by the real name Marshall Mathers, has had a history of the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. The ‘Rap God’ singer had a pretty difficult time dealing with his drug issues during the early 2000s, leading him to face criticism for his sloppy execution in 2004 when he released the Encore album. However, Eminem bounced back with a banger of an album, Recovery, in 2009 to shut his critics up, which is the reference he made while mentioning Sean O’Malley in one of his recent songs.
Given how Sean O’Malley made the required changes to come back and fight Merab Dvalishvili in a rematch, he got the recognition and respect of Eminem. The renowned rapper recently released a song in collaboration with fellow rapper JID. And that’s where he brought O’Malley’s name into the mix, as he related the former champ’s comeback story to his own.
“When I lost proof, couldn’t explain how, that devil came down. Then in one fell, he swooped. Look at how foul he stooped. Had to throw in that towel. regroup, like Sean O’Malley. Still that mouthy youth,” said Eminem in the new song, Animals.
Eminem references Sugar Sean O’Malley in J.I.D’s latest song “Animals” pic.twitter.com/rOdxDuDgyL
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) July 5, 2025
Well, the fans weren’t very fond of Eminem referencing Sean O’Malley for a few reasons. They not only took shots at the former champion but also did not spare the famous rapper. Here’s what they had to say.
Fans are not fond of Eminem’s reference to Sean O’Malley
Well, Dana White has been on the lookout for a proper star for his promotion, and that’s where Sean O’Malley comes in. After his UFC 292 win, the UFC CEO even called ‘Suga’ a star, as some fans claim that he might very well be the poster boy for the sport. “We are the face of the fight game.” Just like Eminem, some fans also mentioned other rappers making references to O’Malley as well, as another commented, “Lil Wayne references O’Malley too, in Carter 6.”
However, the Sean O’Malley reference from Eminem didn’t sit well with the hardcore fans who follow the sport through and through. First of all, they were brutally honest with the rapper’s new song, saying, “What a s–t line.” Moreover, the fans also reminded Eminem that he has lost his rhyming skills, while also mentioning how Merab Dvalishvili manhandled the former bantamweight champion. “don’t even rhyme with anything uncs flow is lost and merab owns these f—ers,” that fan commented on X.
The negative reactions kept on coming, as some fans found the Sean O’Malley reference from Eminem “corny as s–t.” If you think that’s all, you are wrong because the fans would then rip Sean O’Malley, who said he made a lot of changes heading into the rematch at UFC 316, but couldn’t cross the finish line. As one fan commented, “Regroup and then lose again? Sick reference,” another fan mentioned that using Alexander Volkanovski, who recently won the featherweight title back, as a reference would have been a better choice for Eminem. “Yeah, that’s a bad fighter to use. Should’ve been Volkanovski instead.”
Well, everyone has their opinion, so do these fans. But what about you? Let us know your thoughts on Eminem’s reference to Sean O’Malley in his new song in the comments down below.
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