When Sean O'Malley confessed why he slid into 'Hawk Tuah' girl Haliey Welch's DMs: "I was on OxyContin"

'Sugar' Sean O'Malley once shed light on why he contacted 'Hawk Tuah' girl Haliey Welch on social media. O'Malley's explanation came after Welch asserted that the fighter contacted her.

Sean O'Malley is a former UFC bantamweight champion and is counted among the most popular stars in MMA today. Meanwhile, Haliey Welch became an overnight social media sensation after she featured in a YouTube street interview that went viral back in June 2024

Haliey Welch started the Talk Tuah podcast after her viral fame. On an episode of her podcast in October, Welch claimed that UFC star Sean O'Malley called her five times via Instagram. She further speculated whether 'Sugar' has a child, adding that he's "nice" and that they've conversed since. She also referenced his hip surgery.

Watch Welch discuss the topic below (26:06):

Fight fans soon reacted to Sean O'Malley's decision to reach out to Haliey Welch. On episode 309 of his Timbo Sugarshow Podcast in October, O'Malley and his head coach Tim Welch addressed Haliey Welch's claims.

He recalled contacting Haliey while he was supposedly under the influence of painkillers on the day of his surgery. O'Malley stated:

"I was on OxyContin. It was the night -- it was the day of my surgery, or the next day. So I was on OxyContin. I was live on Twitch. I was live on Instagram. And I was trying to call people to freestyle. And I'm just f**ked up. I'm on OxyContin. The boys are f**king higher than kites. And we're just -- I called Adin Ross, SteveWillDoIt...I was calling a bunch of people to freestyle. And they wanted me to call 'Hawk Tuah' girl. So I found her IG [Instagram], and I tried to click the little call button. But it didn't go through, so I clicked it a few times. Then she's like, 'He called me like, five times.' Which, she's not wrong. I did call her like, five times. I was trying to get her to freestyle ... and maybe a little Hawk Tuah."

Check out O'Malley's comments below (41:05):

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'Sugar' Sean O'Malley lauds 'Hawk Tuah' girl Haliey Welch for building on her viral clip

Sean O'Malley also lauded Haliey Welch for capitalizing on the viral video. He said:

"No, I heard that. I think Schmitty said it ... 'Hawk Tuah,' spit on that thing. They've capitalized. They've done a good job capitalizing on that clip." [41:46-minute mark of O'Malley's podcast episode]

Furthermore, Sean O'Malley recently indicated that he's eyeing a return to the octagon in March or April of 2025. The striking savant, who's recovering from hip surgery, has been campaigning for a rematch against reigning UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili.

O'Malley's comeback matchup hasn't been officially announced, and many fans have been calling for Dvalishvili to fight Umar Nurmagomedov instead.