UFC bantamweight fighter Sean O’Malley has revealed he plans to follow Conor McGregor’s blueprint to success, with his sights set on stepping into the boxing ring against a pay-per-view star such as Ryan Garcia or Gervonta Davis. Speaking to GQ, O’Malley acknowledged the difficulty in such a crossover, but expressed confidence he could beat either opponent in five to six years’ time. O’Malley has previously praised McGregor as an inspiration and influence on his career.
O’Malley earned comparisons to McGregor throughout his career and shares a similar ambition to emulate his achievements. His aspirations don’t end with a title fight, as O’Malley looks to cross over into boxing much like McGregor has. While acknowledging it will be a challenge, he’s confident he could beat Garcia or Davis in the ring. O’Malley admires the influencer/celebrity boxing trend, but insisted if he enters the squared circle, it will have to be on the scale of Mayweather vs. McGregor.
Dana White has suggested that O’Malley’s next fight could be against Aljamain Sterling, with a potential August bout at UFC 292 in Boston. Meanwhile, O’Malley has made it clear he has a wider blueprint in mind. Despite MMA fighting being harder than boxing in his view, O’Malley believes he can make a successful transition to the sweet science and potentially become a PPV king.