There was a time when Sean O’Malley was greatly inspired by Conor McGregor. He claimed to be his greatest fan. And why wouldn’t anyone be? During his prime, ‘The Notorious’ carried himself in style. Needless to say, the way he sold his fights was what attracted the fighting realm towards him. ‘Suga’ once claimed, “There’s just something about him. Like, damn, I want to watch him fight again, I want to continue to watch. I’ve watched every single interview he’s ever done. I’ve watched all of his fights, multiple times. I love the way he carries himself.” Needless to say, O’Malley once wanted to follow in McGregor’s footsteps. But now, times have changed.
Ahead of UFC 264, the former bantamweight champion addressed the fans’ stance that claimed he tried to emulate McGregor. But his take was that two people can actually have similar personalities. Maybe these non-polar attributes were the only things that drew him towards the Irishman. And for the people who claimed that O’Malley talked, fought, and acted like ‘Mystic Mac,’ he had only words – “That’s not true at all.”
However, nothing lasts forever, and McGregor lost his followers when he trashed O’Malley’s troubles with Ostarine while lashing out at Ryan Garcia for the alleged PED abuse. The two even engaged in an online battle of words. But the fighting community always wanted to know if ‘Suga’ could match or surpass McGregor’s legacy. And this time, the #1 bantamweight contender finally opened up on that.
Recently, O’Malley appeared on the Full Send MMA podcast. Therein, Aaron Steinberg weighed in on the time when McGregor was about to clash with Jose Aldo. Even though the fight happened at Aldo’s home ground, ‘The Notorious’ acted as if he owned that place. And the bout ended with one of the fastest KOs in UFC history. There was certainly a different flair in McGregor carrying himself. And before him, it was Chael Sonnen who did the same. But the question was, could the 30-year-old become like them?
The former bantamweight champion said, “Before Conor was Chael. Chael was the best. I don’t know if we’re ever gonna… I always kinda put myself I want to be as big as Conor. I want to do that.” But reality was a lot different than what people usually imagined. And as far as matching McGregor’s legacy was concerned, ‘Suga’ knew the truth. He confessed, “It’s like, I don’t think, dude, I don’t think I could be as big as Conor. Like, he just was a once in a lifetime…”
Sean O’Malley says he can’t be as big as Conor McGregor
“I always kind of put myself out there. I want to be as big as Conor McGregor. I want to do that. I don’t think I could be as big as Conor. He was once in a lifetime.”
@fullsendpodcast pic.twitter.com/j3leEUfLMR
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) May 30, 2025
Despite the fallout between the two of them, O’Malley couldn’t back down from praising the former UFC double champion. But being a follower (even if it was in the past) meant that O’Malley had a lot to learn from ‘The Notorious.’ Let’s see what he has to say about his learning curve.
Sean O’Malley claims Conor McGregor taught him a lot
During his conversation with Israel Adesanya ahead of UFC 316, ‘Suga’ disclosed all about the inspiration that McGregor provided him with. He said, “I’ve taken so much f—— inspiration from Conor. I’ve taken so much from Conor. Watching his career play out and just the confidence he had to say what he was going to go out there and do, and go out there and do it. I want to see old Conor come back and knock somebody out more than anybody.”
Not too long ago, O’Malley admitted to having taken bits and pieces from McGregor’s style. There was simply no way he was going to ditch the learning that he could get from such a successful fighter. He admitted, “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.”
But what about the beef that the duo engaged in? ‘Suga’ claimed that it was nothing but a stupid game. And in his mind, McGregor was definitely coming back to the Octagon. Well, he did wish for the old ‘Mystic Mac’ to come back and secure a KO win. But this time, O’Malley pointed out that he and McGregor were two different entities. And while the Irishman was greatly successful and almost everyone wanted to be like him, ‘Suga’ knew that it was nigh impossible.
What are your thoughts on McGregor’s legacy? Is there anyone who can match that level of aura in the current UFC roster? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.
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