Surging UFC Star Wants ‘Dream Fight’ With Conor McGregor: ‘I’m Way Faster’

Conor McGregor

Getty UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor stretches during an open workout for UFC 202 at Rocks Lounge at the Red Rock Casino on August 18, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

If surging UFC star “Sugar” Sean O’Malley had to pick a dream fight, it would be against Conor “Notorious” McGregor. O’Malley is scheduled to fight Marlon “Chito” Vera in the co-main event of UFC 252 on August 15, and he was taking part in a media conference call on Wednesday. Sugar, who is ranked No. 14 in the bantamweight division, was asked to name his dream fight.

The undefeated prospect answered, “Probably Conor. I think the fans would like that, I think that’s an exciting fight. That’s a fight that I feel like I could win.” The bantamweight star continued, “It’s a fight that would probably be a dream fight.”

Sugar Sean said, “I’m lighter, he’s heavier. I’m way faster than him. He hits hard, I’m good at not getting hit. It would be interesting.”

During an interview with TMZ Sports in June, O’Malley claimed that he is better on the feet than McGregor. He said, “As far as the skill set wise, I think I have more skills when it comes to the striking.”

O’Malley believes that he has the most versatile striking arsenal in mixed martial arts.

He told the outlet that he can deliver strikes the same whether he is standing in an orthodox or southpaw stance.  He said, “I’m very, very dangerous from every position. [McGregor’s] mainly a southpaw with a bomb left hand and he throws left heaves and some decent spinning stuff.”

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On August 15, O’Malley Will Compete in His Fifth UFC Match

At 25 years old, Sugar Sean is still young in his professional mixed martial arts career. He has fought in 12 pro matches and has never tasted defeat. Twelve of his victories have come via KO or TKO, one by submission and three by decision.

O’Malley earned a UFC contract when he competed on Dana White’s Contender Series and knocked out Alfred Khashakyan in June 2017. He has fought four times in the promotion since then. His first UFC fight was in December 2017 when he defeated Terrion Ware by unanimous decision during The Ultimate Fighter: A New World Champion Finale.

He followed that victory up by earning another unanimous decision, beating Andre Soukhamthath at UFC 222 in March 2018. Sugar Sean was then sidelined for two years with multiple USADA infractions and returned to action in March 2020 when he fought Jose Quinonez at UFC 248, winning by first-round TKO.

In his last fight, Sugar Sean scored a fight-of-the-year candidate knock out over bantamweight veteran Eddie Wineland during UFC 250. On August 15, O’Malley will compete in his fifth UFC match. He is taking on Marlon “Chito” Vera, who has a professional MMA record of 15-6-1.


UFC 252 Takes Place on August 15 & Features 10 Fights

UFC 252 is headlined by the trilogy match between heavyweight champ Stipe Miocic and former light heavyweight and heavyweight champ Daniel Cormier. The fight card has 10 scheduled matches and it can be seen below:

Main Card

Heavyweight Championship Bout: Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier
Bantamweight Bout: Sean O’Malley vs. Marlon Vera
Heavyweight Bout: Junior dos Santos vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
Bantamweight Bout: John Dodson vs. Merab Dvalishvili

Preliminary Card

Lightweight Bout: Jim Miller vs. Vinc Pichel
Women’s Strawweight Bout: Ashley Yoder vs. Livia Renata Souza
Heavyweight Bout: Chris Daukaus vs. Parker Porter
Women’s Strawweight Bout: Felice Herrig vs. Virna Jandiroba

Early Preliminary Card

Featherweight Bout: Herbert Burns vs. Daniel Pineda
Featherweight Bout: T.J Brown vs. Daniel Chavez

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