NEWARK, N.J. — Sean O’Malley will attempt to reclaim the UFC’s 135-pound championship Saturday, and he’ll have his father, Dan, in his corner for the first time when he does it.
O’Malley (18-2) will challenge Merab Dvalishvili (17-4) for the bantamweight title at UFC 316. The two fought at UFC Noche last September in Las Vegas, and O’Malley surrendered his belt to Dvalishvili in a unanimous decision loss. Ahead of UFC 316, O’Malley asked his father to be in his corner as a gift for his 60th birthday, which is Saturday.
“It just shows Sean’s maturity over the last year,” Dan told ESPN. “I think everyone sees that, but as his dad, I really see it. I’m looking at my son and thinking, ‘Man, you have really turned the corner.’ It was always hard for him to switch back and forth between this persona of ‘Suga’ and the real Sean. Now, I really see that Sean’s family is important to him. He’s focused on the important things.”
According to Dan, he was scheduled to corner O’Malley once in 2018, but the fight was canceled — and both agreed that was probably for the best.
“I remember Sean told me, ‘Thank God,’ because we knew I was going to be so nervous,” Dan said. “He said, ‘You were going to be so nervous, it was going to make me nervous.’ Now, I’m going to be super relaxed. I think Sean is going to be surprised how calm I am. I have all the confidence in the world in these guys, and I’m just going to enjoy the ride.”
Sean O’Malley became a father himself for the second time last month, when he and his wife welcomed a son, Matteo Montana O’Malley. They also have a daughter, Elena.
