Becoming the UFC Bantamweight Champion

In this episode

Welcome to In Search of Excellence! My guest today is Sugar Sean O'Malley, the UFC bantamweight champion of the world with a 17-in-one record, who everybody believes is the next Connor McGregor.

He opens up about his meteoric rise from amateur fighter in Helena, Montana to one of the sport's biggest stars, detailing his path from early knockout victories to inking a deal on Dana White's Contender Series and ultimately becoming the champion.

Time stamps:

01:23 Sean’s background

- Grew up in Helena, Montana
- His dad was a cop, mom was a nurse
- He hated school, loved sports
- Wasn’t a popular kid, and never fit in with sports guys
- Moving to Arizona and taking care of his family

07:39 Buying houses

- Wanted to be smart with his money
- Bought 6 houses in Arizona
- Meeting people on Twitch and moving them into his houses

10:22 Sean’s relationship with school

- Didn’t like school and wasn’t interested in it
- Never understood the setup of school
- He was lucky to find a passion
- He learned the stuff he benefited from

13:48 How did it all start?

- A friend called him to check out a fighting gym in Montana
- He liked sports but didn’t have good grades to play
- Didn’t get along with the jocks and coaches
- The boxing was one-on-one and he wanted to experience that

15:55 In the gym for the first time

- Started with jujitsu, didn’t like it
- Continued with kick box and was very good
- Getting his GED
- Kickboxing gave him confidence

21:15 The lessons he learned from kickboxing

- Wanted to be the best fighter in the world
- Started learning everything that could help him achieve that
- Sleeping well, eating well, taking care of his soul and body

23:20 The advice to people who want to be successful

- Always wanted to be rich and famous
- Hustling form 16
- Making and selling T-shirts
- If you want it, you’ll get there

27:09 Why did Sean want to be famous?

- Maybe coming from some deep insecurity
- Being famous is normal for him now

30:43 The beginning of his pro career

- Never had street fights
- It was always a sport for him
- Turned pro at 21
- His knockout went viral on YouTube
- Offered a fight on the Contender series
- Snoop Dogg made him popular
- Booked his first fight in Vegas
- A fight with Andre Soccer
- Broke his foot

37:10 Is Sean the next Connor McGregor?

- Dana Right and UFC
- How much has his looks influenced his success
- People want to see characters
- He is the next Connor McGregor
- Who is the biggest star in UFC?
- Happiness is a skill
- The origin of his nickname

42:47 The importance of Extreme Preparation

- He likes to have 12 weeks to prepare
- Breaks into 4-week blocks, gradually picks up the pace
- Fighting is the most exhausting sport in the world