UFC fighter Sean O`Malley is pleased about reconnecting with Conor McGregor, despite initially being unaware that their friendship had been renewed.
O`Malley, the former bantamweight champion, gained attention from his admired figure, McGregor, after he was seen watching McGregor`s 2016 rematch against Nate Diaz in a YouTube video. McGregor expressed appreciation for being featured and subsequently tweeted his support for O`Malley leading up to UFC 316.
This positive interaction marks a shift after a challenging period for the two fighters, whose relationship had faced difficulties. McGregor, a former two-division world champion, had previously criticized O`Malley concerning his past issues with USADA. However, it appears their bond has recently improved.
O`Malley`s Response to McGregor`s Viral Support
As part of his preparation for UFC 316, Sean O`Malley had stepped away from social media, among other changes to his pre-fight routine. Consequently, he did not see Conor McGregor`s reactions to the video showing him watching the McGregor-Diaz 2 fight during his training camp.
When asked about the post by Bloody Elbow at UFC 316 media day, O`Malley had to be informed of the specific message. He seemed genuinely happy upon hearing McGregor`s comments, responding:
“I’ll forever be a huge Conor fan. I feel grateful to be able to watch his come-up in my generation, we watched it happen. I think we’ll look back and say he had one of the craziest careers so it’s cool to be able to watch it happen while I was getting into the UFC and everything. I’m pumped the relationship is back to good.”
Watching Rematches for UFC 316 Preparation
The moment that went viral, leading to McGregor`s tweet, occurred when O`Malley was seen watching one of McGregor`s most memorable fights in the lead-up to his own world title rematch this Saturday. O`Malley indicated that watching famous rematches is part of his strategy to find inspiration for his second shot at a championship.
“We just have cameras recording so much that I didn’t realize that was a moment that got captured,” he told Bloody Elbow. “I’ve been watching a bunch of fights, watching some rematches, Chuck Liddell vs Randy Couture was one.”
He added, “I’ve never watched Chuck Liddell fights, I obviously knew who he was but I had never watched the fights. I’ve been watching a lot of old school fights which has been cool.”
O`Malley concluded by highlighting McGregor`s significant influence on him: “I’ve always taken inspiration from Conor fights. I’ve watched Conor fights more than probably anyone except maybe my fights.”
Percy Harlow