Sean O'Malley Targets Ian Garry Over Past Slight

Sean O'Malley has taken aim at fellow UFC star Ian Machado Garry, reacting strongly to a 2023 comment where Garry suggested he was the main reason European fans tuned into UFC 292. The former bantamweight champion's comments come as Garry prepares to challenge Islam Makhachev for the welterweight title this Saturday at UFC 330 in Philadelphia.

O'Malley fires back at Garry's 2023 claim

In a YouTube reaction video, O'Malley zeroed in on a clip from last year. "This just got personal," O'Malley said. "The f*ck did you just say? You think people were waking up at 5 a.m. To watch you vs. F*cking-what was his name? Neil Magny." O'Malley was the main event of that UFC 292 card, knocking out Aljamain Sterling to win the bantamweight title, a fact that made Garry's assertion particularly grating. He mostly commented in jest, but the competitive needle was clear.

O'Malley also weighed in on other topics Garry has discussed recently. He sided with Uros Medic in criticizing Garry's take that the world should be run by women. "I'm trying to process that," O'Malley said, before joking, "I wouldn't let my wife run the world, ha! Would I run the world? Absolutely. I'd f*cking crush." He poked fun at Garry's new sponsorship with PETA as well, adding another layer to his playful critique of the Irish contender's public persona.

O'Malley picks Pimblett in rumored Topuria superfight

On his podcast with coach Tim Welch, O'Malley discussed rumors of a potential December blockbuster between Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett. Welch mentioned seeing "rumblings" of the fight, which would follow Pimblett's impressive win over Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 329. O'Malley's excitement was immediate. "That would be huge," he said. "That would be in [Las] Vegas probably. Sick. That would be a massive f fight."

When asked for a prediction, O'Malley leaned slightly towards 'The Baddy'. "Right now, I'm probably leading towards Paddy," he stated. "It's hard to see where Ilia's at mentally. I still think he's gonna come back and just go on a tear. Paddy's also so big, confident. He's a f scouser, and scousers don't get knocked out." He acknowledged the fight could be a coin flip, highlighting the intrigue after Topuria's shocking loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250.

Revisiting the win that made O'Malley a title contender

A separate source served as a reminder of the key victory that launched O'Malley to championship status. In October 2022 at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi, O'Malley faced the formidable Petr Yan. He edged out a split decision win in a bout that many saw as his true arrival in the elite tier. That victory directly earned him a title shot, which he capitalized on by stopping Aljamain Sterling. While the timeline shows O'Malley later lost the belt to Merab Dvalishvili, and Yan now holds the 135-pound title, that 2022 win remains a key moment in his career trajectory.

• O'Malley challenged Ian Machado Garry over a 2023 comment about drawing power ahead of Garry's UFC 330 title fight.
• He predicted Paddy Pimblett would beat Ilia Topuria in a rumored December superfight, calling it a "coin flip."
• O'Malley's split decision win over Petr Yan at UFC 280 in 2022 was the fight that secured his first UFC title shot.

Stories about Sean Murphy (MLB) and Sean McVay (NFL) were not relevant to UFC athlete Sean O'Malley and were omitted from this editorial round-up.