Sean O’Malley spoke with members of the media following the conclusion of UFC 299: O’Malley vs Vera on Saturday.
what’s [Music] up Sean congratulations on the victory I know you didn’t necessarily get the Finish you wanted but it was a pretty incredible performance overall so I’m sure you’ll break it down afterwards but as you sit there how do you feel about the way you performed tonight yeah something about not getting the finish that just doesn’t sit right with me it just like but um you know I also haven’t watched it obviously once I watch it back I think I’ll be a little bit more excited but you know I always want to get that finish yeah so obviously the boot on the foot a little bit of a limp as you walked out I guess um do you know what the status is of it right now and when the the injury occurred um no I think you know I’m I’ve had a pretty major surgery on this foot before so I think you know it tends to flare up after he kicks him in the head a few times so I don’t think it’s anything serious hopefully not but yeah I think it’s just going to be a little swollen for a few weeks and uh we’ll be be back to work like you said great performance I mean was there anything that surprised you I know you knew how durable he was and all those things but I mean was there anything at all that surprised you that happened in there no not at all I mean I knew I was better than this guy for you know three and a half years I knew the first flight was a fight was a fluke um and I proved that you know so felt good at the end of the fight you kind of sat down Against the Cage I was curious if that was physical because the foot or if there was something emotional just exhaustion after 25 minutes what was going on there hit me with a nice body shot Tim told me like don’t sit you don’t need to you want you’re winning the fight you don’t need to sit there but I just oh I wanted that finish so bad I thought I could sit in the pocket and trade and he hit me with a nice body shot and I just was like already whooped his ass I’m going sit down and chillax for a little bit fair enough uh last thing for me I mean you said it in the cage you’d like to see El toor’s a scary guy it’d be fun but you said hey Mor Rob if that’s the fight everybody wants we’ll we’ll do that one too so how do you make that decision how how do you allow that choice to be made uh it’s nice having options you know it’s hard to make a decision right after the fight we’ll see you know how it plays out talk to the UFC talk to Hunter Dana and uh you know we’ll see see what happens sure and obviously you always took that first sa Cheeto kind of like in good nature and always said you undefeated and stuff but was there something on on your mind about like I want to prove to everyone that I am actually just way better than this guy a little bit I mean I literally truly always knew I was better than him it never bothered me once that that fight played out like that I mean look where I was at considering I played out like that beat Thomas ala in one of the most you know beautiful performances I ever had so you know that that fight never bothered me you know I I try not to care what people think and I knew I was better than him and you know it took a little you know three and a half years to go improve that and and I did obviously you landed the two massive knees on him uh in the second I think and looked like you had him very badly hurt but you also sort of knew that he’s a very hard guy to put away did you see that I’m not necessar going to be able to finish this guy right away yeah he’s hard to he’s hard to catch he’s hard to hit um clean so I didn’t want to waste energy trying to put his lights out if if I wasn’t going to be able to so you know I’m a vet I’m a veteran I’ve I’ve done this for a long time and you know you know when to use your energy and when to save it and and I didn’t feel like I could put it lights out uh right then and there so save the energy are you kind of surprised he didn’t just Spam the cough kick over and over again uh not not really I think it’s like you know leg kicks are dangerous but they’re also not just easy to throw you can’t just throw them and just know you’re going to land them every time they’re they’re you know if you get checked it hurts if you throw it and like you know step in with a right hand you’re off balance so it’s not as easy as just throwing a leg kick and you’re going to land it SE here at media day you you said you know we’ll never be Buds and this and that but you talk to Cheeto at all I know I saw you guys like bump fist but was there anything else said between you guys no nothing was said just a little handshake I think he told Tim we’re we’ll never be friends or something something like that but you know it is what it is I mean I’d be jealous and hate me too what what did you make of the just like the crowd in the scenes you know that press conference Dan White said is one of the loudest he’s ever seen they were chanting they were dueling USA and Ecuador chance during your fight yeah it’s incredible it’s so weird to be me right now like just being being able to stand there and listen to that and perform for the people you know if it wasn’t for the fans if it wasn’t for the media to You Know cover this sport I wouldn’t you know be in this position so you know it’s it’s a really really cool and I’m really grateful the for you guys and the fans that watch one more thing throw at you this is one of the largest if not the largest non- McGregor Gates uh for UFC pay for you so what do you make of like another thing like that on your belt yeah I think I think I’m I’m I’m I’m creeping up there I’m getting up there you know at the end of the at the end of the day UFC doesn’t need anyone they’re going to be they’re going to find Stars they’re going to make you know put on crazy fights regardless but you know I think I’m I’m I’m working my way up to uh one of the biggest names in the sport one of your teammates Kyler Phillips uh he got a big win too and you know we asked him like would it be an issue would it be like Mor Rob and aljo like would you guys not fight and he says you know we’ll make we’ll fight we’ll make money uh Mario Bautista he threw in there too so do you have to have that conversation with your teammates or is it just like you know we’ll have to fight someday um I don’t know we’ll we’ll go with the flow if if it happens I feel like I could move up to 45 I feel like I you know I’m going to get to a point to where I don’t even need the belt I’m bigger than the Belt have the belt I’m going to fight you know main event at 140 at 142 and a half just for fun I can you know I’m getting to that point so the the belt’s cool but you know once you get to a certain point you you can main event and just kind of Fight You Know look Conor was 45 pound champ fighting at 170 fighting Nate like I want to get I want to get there and uh last one for me uh those we saw the video clip of kind of Mor Rob walking up to you when you were leaving did you guys say anything I didn’t I don’t know like I got hit in the head too I was like what the who is this random guy saying talking to me I thought I was like who the and then I realized it was MB and then it was uh his buddy was yelling or something but yeah I mean that that that fight very well could happen next Sean over here I know you said you probably won’t be buzzed with cheetah but when you look at the fighter version of Cheeto what do you think he should do next with his career um you know Cheeto versus Henry could be an interesting fight Cheeto vers Peter could be an interesting fight cheeter vers Cheeto versus Alo would have been an interesting fight you know he he’s a somewhat of a star so he he’s got some good options too but uh he’ll probably need some good amount of time off as well I think I broke his face kind of like they just mentioned there with the energy in Miami this whole week how did it feel not being you know the 100% unanimous fan favor going into this fight week I know other than that yawn fight week you were kind of a fan favorite everywhere you went you know I show up and perform wherever we’re at I could you know fly to Spain and fight Elia I don’t that doesn’t bother me it’s cool you know having the fans there for me specifically but it’s just cool being a part of it so uh that didn’t bother me Shan here hey SE I just checked so congrats for your first TI defense and I just checked all your social media and everyone writes that you should fight next meab and what’s your response just next fight what uh so everyone says and everyone comments that you next should fight meab and what’s your answer just my my yeah maybe we’ll see over here um what about the ilura fight uh calls your attention is it making history that second belt is it something specifically about him uh The Undefeated what is it about him that uh calls your attention yeah I mean it’s moving up to 45 that’s champ versus champ automatically is huge just knocked out and Alexander volkanovski that’s massive you know it’s just an exciting fight I’m here for for massive fights um and that’s what I want to be a part of so if that’s it sweet if Mor’s it sweet you know I like having options and you prefer Elia over Mor uh not necessarily I mean I guess if it looks I mean technically I wouldn’t I’m not defending a belt so I don’t know about pay-per-view I would have to talk to the UFC I don’t think that would be an issue I’ve always been able to work out something with the UFC so you know if that’s the case that might be a bigger fight but uh again I’m going to I’ll talk we’ll talk and uh figure it out and how would you think a fight with Elia would go I think a fight with anybody I win by knockout obviously I didn’t knock Cheeto out but you know they don’t lose Confidence from that cheo’s you know so tough um but yeah I believe I put elia’s lights out yeah and lastly um I know you don’t count it but you know technically you guys are one-on-one do you see a Trilogy happening in the future do you feel like you’re done with cheito for the rest of your career yeah I know the sugar State athletic commission they said if I win this fight that they’ll take that that uh first fight away so I’m officially undefeated again and uh feels really good so that’s we’re just one and0 right now Sean right here this may signal the end of things like I did earlier but I’m going to ask about your shorts uh even know want to change your hairir a fair bit are the pink shorts here to stay or could you change those up too yeah I mean I like this pink I’m going to rock it so if UFC is going to let me keep using using the pink I’m going to keep rocking it okay thanks hi Shan um do you think your problems with Cheeto and that today and also do you remember the day that you guys talk uh in a pool in Las Vegas talk no I don’t uh never really had a conversation with Cheeto other than I mean at the pi once but uh yeah I don’t know um what about the problems you guys have before it is ended today I mean I’ve never not liked him I just you know he doesn’t like me he’s jealous I get it it’s whatever but he just he doesn’t like me for some reason I don’t have a problem you will see one more fight with him in the future maybe uh probably not okay thank you I just I mean I think I had a 50 44 at one point so yeah probably not all right I’m going to the club peace