MMA Fighting - Sean O’Malley talks UFC 252, new contract, Cody Garbrandt feud and his upcoming apparel line

Episode Date: August 7, 2020

Ahead of his co-main event fight at UFC 252, "Suga" Sean O'Malley speaks with Damon Martin about his new contract, Marlon "Chito" Vera, his recent war of words with Cody Garbrandt and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You're listening to the Vox Media Podcast Network. Damon Martin MMA fighting and his UFC 152 fast approaches, one of the most talked about fights on the entire car will be the co-main event, where Marlon Chito Vera takes on my guest today, Sugar Sean O'Malley. Sean, what's going on, buddy? How are you? How are you?

I'm good, man. Thank you for taking the time to chat with me as always. I appreciate it. Yeah, absolutely. So when we last talked, I think it was a little over a month ago, you were kind of waiting and hoping this was going to be the fight. You were doing some contract negotiations, getting ready to launch your apparel line. And I think you got everything done within the last four weeks. Yep, exactly right.

So let me start off with the contracts. I know you said you were confident you'd get a deal done. I'm not going to ask you to go into details, but did you get a deal done? I think we got something that worked out pretty well. You know, after you go and knock someone out, you always feel like, God, I feel like I should get a huge raise. but, you know, the UFC, they know what they're doing, they'll get you in those couple fight contracts, but can't complain. Yeah.

Well, I know you said, obviously, that, you know, your long-term goal is to be a UFC champion and be with the UFC, so I'm sure this is a long-term relationship you want to build. Correct, exactly right. Yeah, I definitely want to stay on their good side and, you know, have a good, healthy relationship with them. Yeah, but ultimately you're happy with, well, you're happy enough that you want to stick around.

Yeah, exactly. They're putting on fights in a time like this. You know, and I can't complain about what they're paying me to beat people up. So I think it's so far so good. Yeah, absolutely. So you also mentioned back then you thought Cheetah Vera was going to be the opponent. That ended up being the opponent you got. I imagine you're happy with that. I know, again, that you kind of had targeted that as your next opponent.

Now you get to be co-main event on a massive card with the heavyweight title on the line. I mean, could you imagine a better scenario working out for you? for you. Yeah, I know. It's hard to imagine a better scenario. It's too, it all looks too good to be true. Co-made event on a legendary card, Steve A versus D.C. trilogy. You know, and then, you know, I don't even think we're the co-made event.

I think we're the first main event, the second main event. And I'm super excited. It couldn't be a better spot on a better card to go out there and showcase my skill. So I'm extremely excited. Yeah. Now, we know what Chito Vera brings to the game. He's a very tough kid. Obviously, he's got a lot of good wins on his record.

I think you told me when we spoke before, you believe he won his last fight. He deserved the decision in that one. But this is a been a fight that's been talked about for a while. Were you glad to finally get it just because there have been so much chatter and buzz about it and it seemed like maybe we weren't going to see it. But now it seems like this is the right fight at the right time. Yeah, I think it makes sense.

He's six and he's won his last six fights with five finishes. I think, you know, he has a good amount of UFC wins, a lot of experience, extremely tough, and, you know, I think it's just a perfect next step up above Eddie. I think he's definitely a top 15 fighter, regardless of what the rankings say. So, yeah, I think it's a perfect matchup, and it's definitely not going to be an easy five, I'm not going to go out there, and I have to show up. luckily that's what I do every single time I have a fight book I show up and I perform so this has to be no difference I have to come in there 100% fully prepared and show up and

perform and that's what I do best so I expect another you know fantastic night yeah absolutely you told me before that you know at this point in your career is still a very young guy in the UFC but you've already become one of the most talked about guys on the entire roster and of course when you have a fight booked, of course your opponent's going to talk about you and do interviews. That's just part of the sport. But how much do you pay attention to things your opponents say about you? Do you write them down as like chalkboard material to say motivation? Do you laugh at it?

Like what do you do when you see the things your opponent say about you? I haven't seen anything, actually. Could you fill me in on some of the good things? Has he been talking a little bit? I hope so. I think it just builds the fight more. I know the fans are going to listen to what I say, listen to what he says, and it's going to, but I haven't, I haven't seen anything.

And usually when I'm streaming on Twitch, if he said something worth getting my attention, they'll fill me in, they'll let me know. But so far, he, I mean, I don't know. I haven't heard anything, so. Yeah. The biggest thing I think you said in an interview is, you know, something to the effect of, you know, you need him to stay relevant because you haven't fought the higher level of competition.

And obviously he believes he's a step up in competition for you. Yeah, that did sound stupid. I don't need, I definitely, there's just no way you could put pretty much, you know, anyone in, and I'm fighting them in the co-made event. Him versus, him versus anyone, just not, he needs, he definitely needs me more. I just think it was a good, good matchup for me and a perfect next fight for me, but, yeah, that does, that sounds stupid. You, you've, you've grown up, you know, literally before our eyes, you know, coming into UFC for the contenders series, and you've handled the pressure very, very well.

And now being in this, as you said, the second main event, I'll call it that, the second main event on this big, you know, pay-per-view card. What is it that you're able to handle the pressure in this situation? Because we've got to be honest, Sean, there's a lot of guys who get into these situations a little bit too fast, and they kind of fold under the pressure. We've seen it, you know, 100 times. Yeah, I think, you know, I'm 25 now.

I think that two years really let me build my skill level. And, you know, I definitely put the pressure on myself. when I, you know, I don't have to go out there and talk and say I'm going to knock these guys out. I'm going to do this. I'm going to do that. By me saying that adds to the so-called pressure in the anticipation of my next fight. So I'm definitely putting it on myself in a way. I can definitely go out there and not say anything, fight on an undercard like a lot of these guys,

and just get by and try to win fights. But I enjoy talking. You know, I speak my mind if I think I'm going to go out there. knock you out. Everyone knows that I'm going to say that. And, you know, it's not just talk. I told everyone I was going to go out there and get a viral knockout on Eddie Weinland, and I did.

I told everyone I was going to out there knockout Jose Quinois, and I did. So this is no different. I like putting, I like that, I don't know if pressure is the right word, but I enjoy the anticipation and the hype for people either wanting to see me win or lose. It really doesn't matter to me as long as they're watching that. fight. So, yeah, I just enjoy

all the feelings that come with building up a fight. Yeah. Now, on the flip side, I know you can't get into Marlins' head as far as what he's doing or his preparation. I mean, he's had some big fights in the UFC and some good performances. But again, you know, a big pay-per-view, you know,

co-main event, second main event, you know, that's a big moment, big spotlight. Do you feel like you'll see, you'll look for those kind of moments in that opening round where you kind of look to see, is he really ready for this? Because you can see some guys do get a little bit of deer in the headlights when they get in those moments. Yeah, I'm planning on him not. I'm planning on him showing up and being 100%, but I do kind of feel like once we're

both standing in the cage and I'm staring across from him, we'll see if he, you know, withers down or if he rises to the occasion. But I don't know, when I seen, when I saw him, when I was first supposed to fight him and and I tested positive for Austria, and I remember I went to the UFC, I saw him at the PI, he was continuing to fight, and I looked him in the eyes,

and I said, dude, I didn't take anything. This is, you know, good luck. I felt like he was just thankful. He didn't have to fight me. I think, I don't think he wants this fight. It just happens. I was calling him out. UFC cry offered it to him,

and he's not going to say no to an opportunity like this, but I don't think he wants to fight me. I don't know why he would want to. He's going to try to take me down, and I don't think he's going to be able to, and I'm going to hit him on his chin over and over and over again. And I think he kind of, if he closes his eyes and imagines how this fight plays out, I don't see how he sees it going any other way than him getting knocked out.

Yeah. You talk about the pressure and the expectations, and you've embraced it, maybe better than anybody I've spoken to since probably Connor McGregor, as far as embracing the pressure of, you know, going out there, and then backing up, you know, last performance, backing of your words and things like that. Do you know, like you know going into this, you know, all eyes are going to be on you and your performance and how you, how you go out there and kind of shine under the spotlight. But it seems like you embrace that. Is that fair

to say you kind of embrace the pressure and the expectations? Yeah, I love it. Especially I just got done watching the Michael Jordan documentary last dance. I just made me get, you know, we only get, they get to perform however many 84 games in a season or whatever it is. We get a fight a couple times a year. year. So, you know, these are big moments, and I live for these big moments, and I wish I could, you know, I wish you didn't have to only fight a couple times in the year. I love competing, especially when I'm healthy and there's no reason I'm not fighting back to back to back. So, yeah, I feel like every fight's like the Super Bowl, every fight, a championship fight in my

eyes, so I just prepare as best as I can, and I think I'm getting it down to pretty good. so I got it when my weight everything the weight the training the sparring outside of camp

and everything just so dialed in especially right now back to back to back fight camps after my fights I was

you know I'm still healthy I never got I was not training training is part of my lifestyle and you know so I never got

out of shape but I feel like I'm in some really really good shape right now and fighting a tough guy like Marlin who's you know

I'm planning on 15 minutes in there. But every time I get into a fight, whether I think I'm going to knock them out in the first round, I plan and I train for 15 minutes. And this fight was no different. So I'm ready to go 15, planned on putting them out in the one. Yeah. Now, I don't want to take the attention away from Marlon Vera, but the last time we spoke,

Sean, you mentioned to me, you know, the social media stuff, the interviews. You have fun with it. It's never personal for you. You like jabbing it guys. And you mentioned you're already one of the most talked about guys on the roster. You got, you know, the champion, Peter Yan, talking about you. But obviously you recently had a dustup on social media with Cody Garbrand. And I think that's a fight down the road that everybody would like to see.

But it seems like you do have fun with that. And I wanted to ask your opinion on Cody after kind of going back and forward. What was your takeaway from that interaction? I think he wants to fight me. I think I might be a little biased. And I mean, I guess I just said that about Cheeto too. But I don't think Cody wants to fight me. I think he sees that fight.

I'm long. I'm tall. I'm accurate. I throw straight punches. He throws hooks. He's 5'3, I'm 6'4. You know what I mean? He don't want that fight.

It is fun, though, because you said that, you know, the mental warfare aspect of it is a big part of it, and in a way, do you feel like you've already gotten into his head a little bit? Yeah, I think I've been in his head. You know, I think he probably watched, you know, my fight against Jose Cignonis. We didn't have any beef back then, but I bet you was thinking,

I'm going to avoid that fight, and then I knock out Eddie, and he knocks out a sunset. But like I said on my I think I said on a podcast today. I'm like, I respect Cody a lot. He got knocked out, not once, not twice, not, you know, he got knocked out three times in a row. Then he comes back and fights a tough guy and a Sunsile. And he got the job done.

And so there is respect there 100%. But I just think my skill set versus his skill set, I beat him. That's just what it comes down to. and obviously not afraid to express how I feel about that fight. And he just gets hot-headed. And, you know, obviously if someone's talking crap, he's going to talk crap back. So it just worked out good. Yeah.

You told me when we spoke last that, you know, where you're at in your career now, you're ready for the Cody Garbrands of the world. You're ready for those top guys. But, you know, because of your schedule, you want to stay active right now and you want to stay busy and it gets harder once you beat a top-five guy because then at that point, you only have so many options in front of you. but if everything goes well next weekend and you beat Marlon Vera, do you want to get another fight in this year?

Do you feel like you do want to start targeting those top guys, or are you just going to kind of continue the way you've been going? Yeah, it's super hard to say. Definitely have to go out there and put Marvin away first, and then kind of depending on the fashion, I put him away, if I put him away, if I put him away the way I think I'm going to a nasty knockout, put him face first in the canvas. I think I can pretty much ask for whoever I want.

But it just depends how that fight plays out. But definitely want to fight at least one more time this year. But I'm extremely focused and prepared. I have to fight violence for 15 minutes, August 15th, and I'm not really looking past that date. Yeah. Last thing I'll ask you, Sean, I'll get you out of here on this. We talked about your merchandise line coming.

I saw the launch date is coming up. I know you had some jerseys go out recently. How excited are you for that aspect of your career? I know it's actually happening on Fight Week. So obviously, I'm sure you have people behind the scenes working for you. But how excited are you for the sugar line to drop? Yeah, we did our first little drop with the jerseys. We sold, we had a limited edition jerseys, 100 of them.

For $200, and they sold out at 39 seconds. We auctioned off number 420 and 69. those went for some good money on eBay. So yeah, that was exciting kind of seeing the numbers that we could do. There was, I think, over 4,000 people on the website trying to get the jerseys. And then, yeah, dropping some more stuff, Fight Week, and might be doing a collaboration with cookies for some merch. So, yeah, everything's going awesome.

The only thing I need to do is keep winning in fights and everything. Everything around me goes up from there. So, yeah, everything's going good and can't complain. Absolutely. Well, Sean, thank you so much for taking the time. I really appreciate it. Best of luck next weekend. And hopefully we can catch up after the fight.

All right. Talk to you soon. Bye-bye. You're listening to the Vox Media Podcast Network.