Sean O'Malley has patched things up with Conor McGregor just days before his high-stakes bantamweight rematch at UFC 316. The 30-year-old fighter will face Merab Dvalishvili this Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark, looking to reclaim the 135lb title he lost last September.
"I will forever be a huge Conor fan. I feel grateful to be able to watch his come up in my generation," O'Malley said during the UFC 316 media day. "I'm pumped the relationship is back to good."
The reconciliation comes as a surprise to many in the MMA community, considering the pair's deteriorating relationship over recent years. They had exchanged verbal jabs online, with McGregor notably criticizing O'Malley over USADA-related issues.
Interestingly, the "Notorious" Irishman has now thrown his support behind "Suga" ahead of Saturday's contest. McGregor praised O'Malley's training camp on social media, comparing it to his own preparation for his second bout with Nate Diaz: "Very reminiscent of my Diaz 2 prep. Intriguing! BIG FIGHT FEEL!"
Dvalishvili, meanwhile, enters the rematch with significant momentum. The Georgian fighter, nicknamed "Machine," dominated their first encounter, securing a unanimous decision victory to claim the bantamweight crown. He's since successfully defended his title against Umar Nurmagomedov in January.
O'Malley hasn't stepped into the octagon since that defeat at UFC 306. Despite being considered the underdog by many, he's been studying rematches - particularly McGregor's second fight with Diaz - to prepare for his comeback.
"I have always taken inspiration from Conor fights. I've watched Conor fights more than probably any fights, well, my fights more, but I've watched a lot of Conor fights," O'Malley admitted.
He added: "I've been watching some rematches. We just have cameras recording so much, I did not realize that was a moment that got captured."
Can O'Malley flip the script against an opponent who so thoroughly outclassed him in their first meeting? Saturday night will tell if all that studying of McGregor's comeback performances has paid off.
