"I wanted to be in the NFL" - Sean O'Malley admits he took up fighting to impress "chicks" during freshman year

Sean O'Malley, the former UFC bantamweight champion, has revealed that his initial motivation for taking up fighting was to impress the ladies. In an interview with Nina Marie Daniele, O'Malley admitted that he started training in MMA during his freshman year of high school to gain confidence and attract attention from girls.

Before turning to MMA, O'Malley had aspired to play in the NFL. However, his small stature made it difficult for him to compete at the highest level of American football. When he learned about weight classes in combat sports, O'Malley realized he had a better chance of succeeding in MMA.

While his original intentions may have been somewhat superficial, O'Malley quickly developed a genuine passion for the sport. He discovered that he had a natural talent for fighting and enjoyed the challenges and excitement it presented. Over time, MMA became more than just a hobby for 'Sugar'.

Speaking to Daniele, the 29-year-old said:

“I wanted to be in the NFL, realized I'm a little guy. Weight classes were in fighting and I was like all right that's something... I can do started fighting when I think I was going into either freshman year, and that was pretty much the thought process behind it. I would assume chicks like fighting. Give myself some confidence going into high school. Not be scared or anything of anybody. That was kind of the initial reason behind starting.”

Check out Sean O'Malley's response below (1:16):

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Sean O'Malley breaks silence after title loss at UFC 306

Following his surprise loss to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306, Sean O'Malley has finally addressed his disappointing performance. The former bantamweight champion took to social media to apologize for his lackluster showing.

Taking to his official X handle, he posted:

"Over promised and under delivered. Sorry. Love you guys"

Check out Sean O'Malley's post below:

O'Malley's defeat marked the end of his 13-month reign as champion, as Dvalishvili dominated him over five rounds with his relentless pace and superior grappling. The loss exposed some glaring weaknesses in O'Malley's game, particularly his wrestling defense.

UFC CEO Dana White expressed his disappointment in O'Malley's performance, stating that he looked flat throughout the fight.

“I don’t disagree with you, he [O'Malley] looked flat... He hurt him [Dvalishvili] with the body shot, he knew that he’d hurt him with the body shot and he kept going in trying to finish but yeah, I looked at the punch stats [and] it was like six in a couple of those rounds.” [H/t: Bloody Elbow]

Check out the post fight presser below:

The loss is a setback for O'Malley, who has been one of the UFC's biggest stars in recent years. It remains to be seen how he will bounce back from this defeat and whether he can regain his former championship form.