Sean O’Malley Names His Most Anticipated Fight of 2023

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The UFC has already booked a number of fantastic fights for 2023, but for Sean O’Malley there’s one proposed matchup that stands out above the rest.
The 28-year-old is coming off the best performance of his career when he earned a split decision victory over former champion Petr Yan at UFC 280, which firmly established O’Malley as a top fighter in the UFC’s bantamweight division.
Now ranked as the promotion’s #1 bantamweight contender, “Sugar” is waiting along with the rest of the weight class for champion Aljamain Sterling to heal up and book his next title defense. O’Malley has always been one of the UFC’s more active fighters in terms of building his own personal brand, and that includes co-hosting the TimboSugarShow podcast.
On a recent episode that included an interview with UFC color commentator Laura Sanko, the 28-year-old shared his thought on the announcement that Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler will coach the next season of The Ultimate Fighter and presumably fight after the conclusion of the show.
“This has gotta be the biggest, most viewed The Ultimate Fighter,” O’Malley said. “It has to be, right? With Conor coming back, and it’s gonna create a lot more fans…Conor started doing some outside the Octagon stuff and the hardcore fans started not really fucking with him as much. I think this is gonna put him back in that light where he’s witty, funny, gets you excited.”
“I’m So Excited For Him To Be Back”
Regardless of the fact that the matchup between Chandler and McGregor doesn’t even have a firm date yet, O’Malley says that the possible return of “The Notorious” is enough to get him hyped about the fight.
“For me, that’s the most exciting fight right now is Chandler vs. Conor. Just because it’s Conor, I’m so excited for him to be back.”
McGregor hasn’t fought since suffering a leg injury against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. (Gary A. Vasquez/USA Today Sports)
McGregor previously coached TUF opposite Urijah Faber in 2015, but that season was built around the personalities of the two coaches rather than the promise that the two would fight at a later date. “The Notorious” was arguably at the peak of his powers during the show, which took place after he became featherweight champion but before his welterweight bouts with Nate Diaz.
The Irishman hasn’t fought since July of 2021 when he was injured during his third fight with Dustin Poirier, but a bout against a former title challenger in Michael Chandler could be a chance to make fans forget that he’s gone 1-3 in his last four MMA bouts.
The 34-year-old has maintained a constant presence in the news despite his inactivity in the cage, and one question mark that remains before a fight with Chandler can be finalized is if and when McGregor reenters the USADA testing pool.
What do you think of O’Malley’s choice for the upcoming fight that he’s most excited about?
Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.

The UFC has already booked a number of fantastic fights for 2023, but for Sean O’Malley there’s one proposed matchup that stands out above the rest.


The 28-year-old is coming off the best performance of his career when he earned a split decision victory over former champion Petr Yan at UFC 280, which firmly established O’Malley as a top fighter in the UFC’s bantamweight division.


Now ranked as the promotion’s #1 bantamweight contender, “Sugar” is waiting along with the rest of the weight class for champion Aljamain Sterling to heal up and book his next title defense. O’Malley has always been one of the UFC’s more active fighters in terms of building his own personal brand, and that includes co-hosting the TimboSugarShow podcast.


On a recent episode that included an interview with UFC color commentator Laura Sanko, the 28-year-old shared his thought on the announcement that Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler will coach the next season of The Ultimate Fighter and presumably fight after the conclusion of the show.


“This has gotta be the biggest, most viewed The Ultimate Fighter,” O’Malley said. “It has to be, right? With Conor coming back, and it’s gonna create a lot more fans…Conor started doing some outside the Octagon stuff and the hardcore fans started not really fucking with him as much. I think this is gonna put him back in that light where he’s witty, funny, gets you excited.”


“I’m So Excited For Him To Be Back”
Regardless of the fact that the matchup between Chandler and McGregor doesn’t even have a firm date yet, O’Malley says that the possible return of “The Notorious” is enough to get him hyped about the fight.


“For me, that’s the most exciting fight right now is Chandler vs. Conor. Just because it’s Conor, I’m so excited for him to be back.”


merlin_190673295_df4c1230-a3f3-4c5f-bbd8-e4887dec7686-superJumbo-1-1024x748.jpg.optimal.jpg
McGregor hasn’t fought since suffering a leg injury against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. (Gary A. Vasquez/USA Today Sports)
McGregor previously coached TUF opposite Urijah Faber in 2015, but that season was built around the personalities of the two coaches rather than the promise that the two would fight at a later date. “The Notorious” was arguably at the peak of his powers during the show, which took place after he became featherweight champion but before his welterweight bouts with Nate Diaz.


The Irishman hasn’t fought since July of 2021 when he was injured during his third fight with Dustin Poirier, but a bout against a former title challenger in Michael Chandler could be a chance to make fans forget that he’s gone 1-3 in his last four MMA bouts.


The 34-year-old has maintained a constant presence in the news despite his inactivity in the cage, and one question mark that remains before a fight with Chandler can be finalized is if and when McGregor reenters the USADA testing pool.


What do you think of O’Malley’s choice for the upcoming fight that he’s most excited about?


Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.




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