Dana White outlines similarities between Conor McGregor and Sean O'Malley ahead of Noche UFC 306: "O'Malley's a smart kid like Conor"

Dana White recently drew parallels between the magnetic appeal of Conor McGregor and Sean O'Malley ahead of Noche UFC 306. As McGregor’s absence from the octagon stretches on, there’s been growing scrutiny on whether the Irishman still holds the same sway over UFC fans as he once did.

On the other hand, the reigning UFC bantamweight champion's stock has skyrocketed in recent times. His rising fame, driven by his electrifying fighting style and quick-witted trash talk, has sparked ongoing comparisons to 'The Notorious', as fans and pundits debate if he’s the new face of the UFC.

During the post-event press conference for Dana White's Contender Series (DWCS) on Tuesday, the UFC CEO was asked whether 'Sugar' could overtake McGregor in terms of popularity.

White responded that, although McGregor still holds an unparalleled talent for captivating the public, O'Malley possesses similar charisma but must further cement his legacy:

"He’s [O'Malley] right there anyway. When you talk about Conor’s personality and all the things that make Conor McGregor, Conor McGregor, right? The one thing that Conor McGregor always did was deliver on the big fights. When the big fights happened, everybody said he couldn’t wrestle; everybody said he couldn’t do this and that. He went out and delivered every single time."

He added:

"You know, in this sport, when you have what Sean O'Malley has, you can go out and win the big fights. O'Malley's a smart kid like Conor, too. He gets it. I don't know if you saw him on First Take today, but he gets it."

Check out Dana White's comments below (19:32):

'Sugar' is poised to make the second defense of his 135-pound title against Merab Dvalishvili in the highly anticipated main event of Noche UFC 306, taking place this weekend at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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Chael Sonnen claims Sean O'Malley has surpassed Conor McGregor as MMA’s biggest star

During a recent video on his YouTube channel, Chael Sonnen confidently stated that Sean O'Malley has overtaken Conor McGregor, establishing himself as the premier star in the MMA world right now.

Sonnen pointed out that 'The Notorious' hasn’t stepped into the octagon since suffering a leg injury during his trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021, causing his popularity to wane:

"O’Malley is the biggest star in our sport right now. And ‘Red Panty Night’ is still real. Conor’s not in the sport, and he’s not even licensed. Conor could not walk in and fight tonight if he wanted to. I’m just sharing with you, who’s in the sport, it’s one of those things."

Check out Chael Sonnen's comments below (0:55):