Sean O’Malley is an iconic name to UFC fans around the globe.
O’Malley has been one of the star performers since making his debut in 2017 and has been praised for his unique fighting style.
As of May 2025, ‘Suga’ O’Malley ranks 14th in the list of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the UFC and the number one in the bantamweight category.
Everybody knows about his fighting style, but what about some aspects of his life that you didn’t know about?
Here, The Sport Review looks at ten things you may not know about Sean O’Malley.
10 – Sean O’Malley has already made his boxing debut
We’re quite used to seeing boxing and MMA fighters crossing over into each other’s sports – notably Anderson Silva and more recently, Francis Ngannou.
O’Malley is also one of those too but made his boxing debut way before he became a world-renowned UFC star.
He faced David Courtney in 2016 and impressed by claiming a second round TKO victory. Maybe we’ll see him in the boxing ring again one day?
9 – Sean O’Malley suffers from drop foot
O’Malley has always been a talented fighter but one recurring theme throughout his fights seems to be his leg injuries.
Leg and foot problems have hindered the American and the apparent reason for it is drop foot, which is caused by fibular nerves suffering serious damage.
The UFC star hasn’t been affected to the point where he’s had to reconsider his career, but it’s one that’s somewhat affected him over the years.
8 – Sean O’Malley is partially Irish
Although born in America, O’Malley is never one to hide away from his traditional roots and is very proud of his Irish ancestry.
His parents, Theodore and Mary Louise, are of Irish descent and his father’s real name is Sean Patrick O’Malley – the name he uses when fighting.
7 – Sean O’Malley hosts a podcast
Sean O’Malley is part of a podcast known as The Timbo Sugar Show. He hosts this with his friend and coach Tim Welsh, where they discuss all sorts of topics from UFC to life away from the sport.
6 – Conor McGregor is Sean O’Malley’s big inspiration
Conor McGregor is a source of inspiration to many MMA fighters who began their careers, and entered the professional stage.
For O’Malley, he is no different and before UFC 264, where both of them shared the card, he said: “I think the first time I watched him (McGregor) fight was against Max Holloway.
“There’s just something about him like, damn, I want to watch him fight again, I want to continue to watch. I’ve watched every single interview he’s ever done. I’ve watched all of his fights, multiple times. I love the way he carries himself.”
5 – Why Sean O’Malley is called ‘Suga’
O’Malley revealed that the inspiration behind his nickname is down to one of his coaches from early in his career.
When he asked his coach why he was called O’Malley, his coach said: “Because you’re sweet to watch.”
4 – Sean O’Malley is very good friends with Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg has been a lifelong fan of the sport and is regularly spotted with UFC stars around the globe.
‘Suga’ is one of those and the pair have been spotted out together, captured in one of O’Malley’s YouTube videos.
3 – Sean O’Malley’s hairstyles are for different messages
Anyone who has watched O’Malley knows that the most unpredictable part of his career is what colour hair he walks out with.
We’ve seen all kinds and it turns out all were for different reasons.
He admitted that he likes to do so to “steal the headlines” but others include his yellow-coloured hair to match the Ecuadorian flag and appeal to his fans in that part of the world.
2 – Sean O’Malley dropped out of school
O’Malley dropped out of school midway through his time of studying and was enrolled in alternative education systems, eventually earning himself a degree.
Thankfully, he didn’t need that degree and ended up becoming a worldwide entertainer.
1- Sean O’Malley hated the idea of MMA growing up
Growing up as a teenager, O’Malley admitted that he hated the look of MMA when he was first introduced to the sport by watching it with his dad.
He thought it was ‘disgusting’ and couldn’t comprehend seeing fighters inflicting damage on each other. Little did he know what he’d go on to become.