The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Postgame Show: MMA Hangout x Suga Sean O'Malley

Episode Date: January 17, 2024

*NSFW* (Language) Tony talks to UFC Batamweight Champion Suga Sean O'Malley about his upcoming fight with Marlon 'Chito' Vera at UFC299 in Miami, winning the UFC belt in Boston and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You're listening to Giraffe King's Network. What's up everybody welcome into the MMA Hangout a very special surprise UFC 299. I know it's a couple of cards away. I know we've got 297 coming up. I know we've got 298 coming up but UFC 29 we've got 298 coming up, but UFC 299 in Miami at the Kaseya Center. We are very excited because we are about to be joined by the Bannemweight champion, the sugar show himself, Sean O'Malley, who is defending his Bantamweight title against Cheeto Vera, the guy, the only guy that has given him a loss. He's 17 and one. This is

the guy Cheeto Vera, who is a badass in his own right. But again, the Bannemweight champion of the world. Second time we talked to him by the one in the MMA hangout. We got, we bring you champions. That's what we do here. We bring you champs and speaking of champs, the ban on weight king right now, Sean O'Malley. The UFC returns to Miami to the 305 with UFC 299 on March 9th. Tickets go on sale this Friday and I've got the main event, the sugar show himself, Sean O'Malley, Sean, me and you haven't spoken in like a year and some change. You know, I was in the building

when you went into the octagon after Al Jo versus Sahuto, the whole thing with Marab, I was there in the building, I was actually a cage side, because I had some of the cage side seats for the media And I remember you getting up there What was your first stop when you climb into that octagon? What were you what were you attempting to do? You know, it was kind of awkward. They're like hey getting the octom. I was like fuck. I don't I don't really want to but you know We're in the entertainment business. Let's go fucking make a scene. Let's go talk some shit Let's fucking do our best and fucking you know sell we're in the entertainment business. Let's go and fucking make a scene. Let's go talk some shit. Let's fucking do our best and fucking, you know,

sell this fight, promote this fight. Tell Al Javi socks, you know. So, you know, it was, it was a little awkward, but I thought it went fine. Got some good promotion out of it. Got some good promo. Marav got off with your jacket, which have you gotten it back?

You got it back. You got it back. Okay. Got it back that night. It gave it to me bowed down said sorry dad And then I believe it because then what happened in Boston Where you sleep aljo with that punch can you can you walk me through when when he throws you vaid and then you hit him with that right hand that just explodes? Did you know at that moment? Oh, I've got him Oh, it's a weird it's like a weird So it's hard to remember it's almost like a dream where you wake up and it's kind of like kind of foggy or if you have like a psychic

Like experience. It's kind of like a hard to remember what you were feeling in that. But it was just, you know, I was just in the moment in the flow and the zone and fucking put his lights out and felt good. I'm just a superior striker, superior athlete, superior human and just do what I needed to do. You really are the best striker in the division of band. And wait, obviously you're defending

your title here at Miami and USC 299 against a guy who you have your only loss against Cheeto Vera. Talk to me about the first fight with Cheeto and how that's changed you as a fighter going into now defending your title against the same guy that has given you his, you know, your only

loss. Um, feels good. It really just feels like another fight. It's a, you know you're only lost uh... feel good it really just feels like another fight it's uh... you know i got a lot of shit for over the years and i'm you know undefeated i that was a loss and this is literally how i feel like that fight you know it's it that he got super lucky and uh... you could say i beat him nine out of ten times.

He got that one out of the way. So I'm gonna, you know, it's exciting. I can't wait to go out there and in Miami too, it just makes it that one's more legendary. It's gonna be beautiful. We're smoking on that Cheeto Pack, $2.99 on the ninth or what? Yep, yep, we're smoking on Cheeto.

I'm trying to decide which hand I wanna knock him out with. I'm really feeling like this left hand might do job. What's what's the your favorite city? I know obviously you've you've been to a bunch of events. When the UFC gets together and has an event, what's the city that you look forward to me like? All right, I got I got a head there for that because I know it's going to be crazy. Um, to be honest, I don't really care to go watch fights. If I'm not fighting, I kind of, you know, just as a fighter. I'd rather, you know, I don't mind, I don't really care too much being there. You know, you get to, I want to fight. If I'm going to do an arena, if I'm going to a U.S.E fight, I want to fight.

So, but for me, Boston has got a special place in my heart now. That was, you know, legendary. It was insane. The fans, the sugar fans that showed out for that fight was, it was legendary. So, that Vegas is always going to be up there for me. I think my first nine UFC fights were in Vegas, maybe 10, which is pretty crazy to think about. So, Vegas and Boston are very special. Miami, I feel like it's gonna be hard not to go

to make that a legendary night too. Especially with what it was last year when Izzy knocked out by data, that was insane and obviously George's kind of last fight there. I'm Miami born and raised. So like for me UFC coming to Miami has always been something that's never been done. And then last year it was like, oh shit, UFC realize,

wait a second, Miami's actually super dope. Let's keep going down there and just having dudes fight. And you see this card stack top to bottom, led by you obviously in the main event. And it's like, bro, you've made it to super start him. Yeah I mean like you said every time they go to Miami they go all out. They always try to top it off. How are they gonna top off easy you know knock out out the head on the rematch. Let's bring sugar and cheeto there and I've sugar knock out cheeto in the rematch so they always they get the job done

and I'm gonna get the job done at Mars night. Bro, you're a guy that has always talked the talk and then followed up with with your hands. And when you got into this into this fighting world, did you envision it where you're like, I'm gonna be the baddest motherfucker on the planet. I'm gonna be I'm gonna have the belt. I'm gonna be all the things that I want to be. Was there a moment you're like yeah this shit's gonna happen. Yeah, I mean I think even before my contender series fight, you know I was doing interviews telling staying all this, staying everything that's happened. I'm gonna go out there. I'm gonna knock out

Alfred. I'm gonna be a star. UFC is gonna see me as a star. I'm gonna be champ. I'm gonna defend the belt. I'm gonna move up. I'm gonna be you know, champ.S. He's gonna see me as a star. I'm gonna be champ. I'm gonna defend the belt I'm gonna move up. I'm gonna be you know, champ champ. So everything's just kind of playing out as I as I saw it up here as a 21-year-old kid and you know fast forward 29 champ defending the belt in a massive rematch in Miami I'm one of the biggest cards of the year, you know potentially bigger than U.S. 200 talk to him come on now. Yeah, yeah. It's funny because when you look at your trajectory,

like you said it, you've done it, and you just said be the champ champ. Is 45, you have 45 in your sights? Yeah, Eliah goes out there and beats Volk. I think that's what happens next. If not, stay at 35 for a little bit. It's fun to bounce a few more times, and then eventually move up.

Is it hard for you to get to 35? What do you walk around at? I was 158 the other day, so it's not, I would say it's average, it's normal. Everyone, you know, cutting weight, making weight, that's the worst part about the sport. It's the moment, you know, cutting weight, making weight, that's the worst part about the sport. It's the most, you know, it's, I don't mind the discipline and it's the dieting and then no, you can't have an extra little snack here or there.

So, you know, making weights, I make it, it's not fun. I don't think it's fun for anybody that cuts any amount of weight, so, but we get it done. I think that's the part that the casuals and the people that kind of tune in for the spectacle of, they see you on social media, they see you with your podcast, they see you on, you know, on your IG, like smoking a joint and like shadow boxing, you're like, yo, like, what's up with this guy?

Like, who is this guy? And then they see you, but they don't see the tough times where you need to make those extra three pounds. You gotta go back into the sauna, you gotta go back and do all the shit that you hate doing. Like for people that don't get that process, like can you put us there the day before the win? Well, I can't but UFC documentary is coming out with a crazy documentary early next or not this year. So probably within the next couple months UFC is coming out the crazy

documentary that followed, you know, the whole process, whole next couple months you have seen coming out the crazy documentary that followed you know the whole process whole journey of you know a couple weeks out from the fight with Al Joe the fight week the wait cut so I don't really know where it's gonna be yet and I don't even know if I was supposed to say that but yeah, you have seen coming out of the badass documentary Well, hopefully it's badass, but uh that literally covers all that We the alarms just went off in our studio. I don't know if you could, yeah, I don't know. They're telling me you maybe not,

could have been able to say that, but we're gonna keep it no matter what. But you're a pitch man, that's what I like about you, so it's like, I don't know, but go check this out because I'm in it, which is fire. Yep, yep. When you look at across the spectrum of guys that are in your division, guys that are out of your division, who's the fighter that you're like, yo, that's the

guy that outside of me, I have so much respect for. I mean, I got so much respect for all, I really, you know, they're in the U.S. D. They're, you know, on the same path as me. They're trying to get what I have, you know, they're trying to be champ. They're dedicating their life to, to the U.S.D. they're on the same path to me. They're trying to get what I have. They're trying to be champ. They're dedicating their life to the sport. So it would be weird for me not to be able to respect them. They're doing everything I'm doing.

They're dedicating their life to being a martial artist. Respect everyone, really. But the top guys, they're doing a good job. Whether they do a good job on social media or not, they're doing a good job in the octagon. So, you know, it's hard not to see Corey. Corey is doing really big things. Henry, Mrab, Elias, there's so many, I have so many options. Elias, Elias of Motherfucker. Like him, that fight between him and Volk is gonna be intense. And I know obviously you're a student of the game, student of the sport.

There's been this past year for the UFC was incredible. Obviously you capping on in August, what was already a great year, making it even better you getting the belt. But this year UFC was absolutely on fire. Between all the belts, between BMF, between everything that happened. It's so cool to watch a sport that needs to get more love and more shine and guys like you are taking it to the next level because of your superstar.

I'm outside of the octagon, but it's like your part of the pioneering class that is almost making MMA mainstream and UFC mainstream like if it was the NFL NBA, MLB, something like that. How do you feel about that? Yeah, that's really cool. I think COVID actually had a big deal to play in that. There wasn't really much sporting events going on. Dana, UFC said, fuck it, let's roll.

Let's run it. We're going to get these athletes fights. So I had nothing to do with that other than, you know, I had some beautiful performances during COVID, knocked out Eddie Wineland, knocked out Thomas Almeida. Those were two huge fights that happened during COVID. So, yeah, it's cool. It's a good feeling. You know, we're in a different day and age now that we have social media, Instagram, everything, you know, things single viral stuff can happen like that. So it's really cool to be a part of that.

And yeah, that's the goal. Make this sport as big as the NFL, make this sport, you know, it has potential. It's fighting, fighting the craziest sport in the world. So it has, it has the potential to just need some of the characters, some of the guys to put on beautiful performances. And that's, that's what I'm here to do. USC comes back to Miami back to the three oh five with the massive pay-per-view event of UFC 299. Tickets go on sale. Friday, January 12th, March 9th in the building.

People can't wait. There's people just blasting alarms here, Sean, because they know you're here. Bro, we appreciate you hanging out. Thank you so much, man. Really quick. Two quick questions. What's the hair color at $2.99?

I don't know. Some Miami stuff. We're going to figure it out. We usually kind of dial that in the close to the fight gets. We got some ideas, but it's usually a little sneak. We'll see. We'll reveal it when the time is right walkouts on are you Are you gonna troll Cheeto at all this put a little action brawn sin on our walkouts on No, I think you know, well, that's another thing another way to see it comes to me. Yeah comes to me fight fight week Maybe maybe there's a song in the playlist during during the practices that practices that I make me feel a certain way. So hair by song that kind of just comes with the process of camp.

Sean O'Malley, the band and weight champion defending his title at USC 299, one of the baddest men on the planet. Shoga, appreciate you hanging out. Hopefully we spoke to that Cheeto pack together on the ninth, bro. I'm gonna see if I can come and see you on the ninth. What's up? I have to. Gotta be there. Don't want to miss this. I'll be in the building, baby. Let's go. Boom. Buck Cheeto. Peace.