Sean O’Malley, the electrifying bantamweight champion, has been lighting up the Octagon with his dynamic fighting style. The Montana native has a strong resume and a penchant for highlight-reel knockouts. However, it was his performance at UFC 292 that let the world of mixed martial arts know about his true power and put him on the throne of the bantamweight division.

But, did you know? Prior to his matchup against Petr Yan at UFC 280, O’Malley was highlighted in the brief documentary ‘Anatomy of a Fighter’. Therein, the champion’s father, Dan O’Malley revealed something astounding, considering the starlet. While O’Malley Sr. is not known by many, he had an utterly intriguing past, considering his son’s journey in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Today, let’s take a look at the man who raised the fighter in ‘Suga’.

Sean O’Malley’s father Dan O’Malley: What does he do?

O’Malley’s father is a retired Narcotics Officer. Being a law enforcement professional, Dan O’Malley specialized in investigating and combating illegal drug-related activities. He always backed his son to pursue what he aspired to in real-time, even though fighting wasn’t the first thing that ‘Suga’ fell for.

The support he received from his father urged O’Malley to wish for his father to drive him everywhere. despite being a millionaire combat sports athlete, ‘Suga’ couldn’t resist the urge to be pampered by his father. In a confession, the champ said, “Trying my dad to move down here like a full-time job. Drive me anywhere I want.”

Surely, O’Malley has been a vital aspect of UFC. However, his father had a lot to reveal about him. Something even more startling. What were the experiences, the anecdotes? All were revealed by the number of the champion’s dad further. But what about his mother? Let’s get to know her as well.

All we know about Sean O’Malley’s mother

Unlike his father, not much is known about the bantamweight phenom’s mother. But there was an instance involving O’Malley’s mother that garnered quite a bit of attention from the fighting community. And if you have been following the 29-year-old mixed martial artist, you’d know about the extravagant gifts he got for his wife and mother on the occasion of Mother’s Day.

Taking to his YouTube channel, the UFC megastar said, “These are the two most important women in my life. I literally wouldn’t be here without my Mom, technically. And I can confidently say I probably wouldn’t be in the position I am without Danya [my girlfriend].” And then he proceeded to give his ‘princesses’ a whopping sum of $50,000 in cash, each for his mother and wife.

Needless to say, the stacks of cash brought in a pretty wide smile on the ladies’ faces. The champ’s mother was indeed a bit over the moon as she claimed that she could have her house back now that she had enough money to do so.

Now, let’s bring Dan O’Malley back into focus and see him talk about his son’s likes and dislikes. Especially his early interests regarding sanctioned fighting.

Sean O’Malley disliked UFC and MMA, claims his father Dan O’Malley

The entire MMA globe knows Sean O’Malley regarding his love for the sport. With his precise striking prowess, he surely has developed immense liking from the fans and pundits alike. However, the scenes were somewhat different when O’Malley used to be a kid. While O’Malley’s MMA journey was featured in the Anatomy of a Fighter documentary series, O’Malley’s father had something shocking to reveal as he shed light on a wicked fact.

Initially, he hailed his son as he said, “I think Sean knew he was a special athlete and just knew that he’s going to do whatever he wants to do. No questions asked. Yeah, I don’t know where he developed that at.” 

However, he also revealed that O’Malley didn’t like the sport back when he was a child as he shed light on an interesting anecdote. reflecting back on an incident from ‘Suga’s childhood, he revealed that his wife would not let him watch MMA fights with his children. So, the boys along with their father had to sneak downstairs and watch the CDs containing some of the most exciting fights in the MMA world back then. He said, “Because we had a hide downstairs, her mom said you’re not going to show your kids this stuff. So we were down there watching and having a good time.”

But things turned upside down when a 12-year-old ‘Suga’ caught his father and his siblings in the act. O’Malley Sr. continued, “Sean was probably 12 sneaks down their sees this. He’s like how can you guys watch this? Man, This looks disgusting. He runs upstairs dimes me out tells his mom, dad’s down there watching UFC. Mom comes down and makes it shut it off. Which is ironic, because Sean was not a fighter.”

Despite his interests during his childhood, O’Malley came up strong and greatly impressed the fighting community with his skills. But no matter how hard he tried, there were some fights in his record that he couldn’t conquer. And the shockwaves of those fights often hit his father.

Dan O’Malley’s uncanny interaction with Luke Rockhold

Back in August 2020, Sean O’Malley was dominated in a bantamweight clash against Marlon Vera. The bout was inclined towards Vera as he knocked ‘Sugar’ out in the first round. But the fight didn’t end inside the Octagon. Post-fight, Dan O’Malley had an interaction with Luke Rockhold, and the fight continued as Rockhold taunted O’Malley Sr.

The bantamweight champion revealed, “They were in Whitefish. Luke (Rockhold) was drunk, and he kept telling my dad, “Chito beat your son’s a**’. My dad said Luke was super (buzzed) but he kept saying ‘Chito beat your son’s a**’. Why would he be like that?” 

The encounter was surely not a pleasant one, since the UFC legend was drunk back then. However, the series of anecdotes surely reflects an unbreakable bond the father-son had. Indeed, Sean O’Malley’s impending championship bout, given his electric performance in the octagon, would be surely anticipated by his father more than anybody else. What do you think? Could O’Malley make his dad proud once again? Let us know in the comments.