Conor McGregor recently took steps to clarify his stance on Sean O’Malley, emphasizing his support for the rising bantamweight sensation. Initially, McGregor had criticized O’Malley in the wake of boxer Ryan Garcia’s positive test for the banned substance Ostarine, expressing frustration and advocating for a lifetime ban for Garcia, inadvertently roping O’Malley into the controversy.
However, McGregor has since retracted his comments regarding O’Malley. In a recent interview, the Irishman explained that his initial remarks were made in the heat of the moment, driven by his disappointment with Garcia’s situation. McGregor clarified that he actually admires O’Malley and appreciates his talent in the bantamweight division.
McGregor recounted a past encounter with O’Malley at a California football stadium, expressing his admiration for O’Malley’s skill set but also sharing his perspective on O’Malley’s cautious approach to selecting opponents. McGregor encouraged O’Malley to adopt a more aggressive mindset, urging him to take on any and all challengers on his path to becoming a champion.
Acknowledging O’Malley’s evolution in his fighting career, including bouts against tougher opponents like Peter Yan, Chito Vera, and Aljamain Sterling, McGregor expressed his admiration for O’Malley’s growth and development as a fighter. While reiterating his firm stance against the use of performance-enhancing drugs, McGregor praised O’Malley’s conduct towards him and even admitted to being a source of motivation for O’Malley in his fighting journey.
In a surprising turn of events, O’Malley himself has expressed openness to a potential matchup with McGregor, even at a weight class significantly higher than his usual division. Despite typically competing at 135 pounds, O’Malley revealed on the Raw Talk podcast his willingness to face McGregor at 155 pounds, recognizing the immense payday and the legendary status of such a bout against the sport’s biggest star.
O’Malley’s willingness to step up to the challenge of facing McGregor, combined with McGregor’s newfound appreciation for O’Malley’s talents, adds an intriguing dynamic to the MMA. Whether this dream matchup will come to fruition remains uncertain, but the mutual respect between McGregor and O’Malley could potentially pave the way for an epic showdown in the octagon.
