Dana White and the UFC are constantly looking for their next superstar that would resemble a Conor McGregor or a Ronda Rousey. A fighter than transcends the sport and becomes a massive star.
Right now, the UFC has a few stars on the rosters in guys like Khabib Nurmagomedov, Jorge Masvidal, and Israel Adesanya. Excluding McGregor those are the three most popular fighters that they have.
However, there is one fighter not in that group that has the potential to become the biggest star in the promotion. That fighter is Suga Sean O’Malley.
The Rise of a Star
The Suga Show first made it’s UFC debut on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series back in 2017. O’Malley delivered the goods in an epic knockout victory over Alfred Khashakyan.
O’Malley followed that up with back-to-back victories to start his UFC career. However, issues with USADA would sideline O’Malley for two years.
In his two years off, O’Malley completely elevated his game, and his star didn’t dim at all. In fact, his return at UFC 248 this year was talked about almost more than any fight on the main card.
O’Malley starched Jose Alberto Quinonez in the first round. O’Malley got a quick turnaround at UFC 250 against former title challenger, Eddie Wineland.
In the toughest matchup of his career, O’Malley put on his best performance. O’Malley slept Wineland early in the first with a walkoff KO that will be watched for years.
The UFC’s Plan Moving Forward
The promotion is being incredibly smart when it comes to the development of O’Malley. I think the company sees the potential they have with this guy.
Certain fighters just have it, and O’Malley definitely has it. People are just drawn to the guy and when he talks, people listen.
O’Malley is scheduled to fight Chito Vera at UFC 252 next month. If O’Malley gets the victory, he will continue to climb up the rankings.
The UFC is bringing O’Malley along like they did with Conor McGregor. Slowly building him up and giving him opponents that will allow him to put on exciting performances.
Think about McGregor’s fight against Diego Brandao. That is how I’m viewing the UFC 252 fight for O’Malley. A win will likely get him a crack at someone inside the top eight of the division.
The UFC is going to play this very smart and they are going to be strategic with O’Malley. Starting with the August fight, O’Malley might only be two or three wins away from his first crack at UFC gold. If O’Malley is able to become champion, he might become the biggest star in the promotion.