Sean O’Malley makes honest admission after UFC star claimed he’d be bigger than Conor McGregor

For years, Sean O’Malley believed he would surpass Conor McGregor as the UFC’s biggest superstar.

Sean O’Malley might not have had as meteoric a rise as Ireland’s McGregor did in his heyday, but the colorful UFC bantamweight has amassed quite the fanbase since stepping into the Octagon in 2017.

‘Suga’ quickly became a household name in the UFC for his highlight-reel knockouts and swagger, proving he was one of the best in the world when he defeated former champion Petr Yan in 2022.

O’Malley’s star power reached new heights after he TKO’ed Aljamain Sterling to win the bantamweight title in 2023.

Last September, O’Malley thought he was on track to surpass McGregor as the UFC’s #1 star. However, after a loss to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306, the former champion realizes his long-held dream of becoming bigger than McGregor is out of reach.

READ MORE: Sean O’Malley teases massive fights with Merab Dvalishvili title win at UFC 316

Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty ImagesSean O’Malley doubts he’ll be as big of a star as Conor McGregorAhead of his rematch against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 316, O’Malley admits McGregor is on a different level of stardom.

“I always kinda put myself, ‘I wanna be as big as Conor…’” O’Malley said on The Full Send Podcast.

“I wanna do that [but] it’s like, I don’t think I could be as big as Conor.

“He’s just a once in a lifetime [character],” O’Malley said of McGregor.

“Conor, like to me, was not necessarily [just a fighter]. Obviously, his skill set is really high but when it just comes to all around like entertainment, it’s Conor [at #1] right now.”

McGregor hasn’t fought in the UFC since breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier in 2021.

Even outside the Octagon, ‘The Notorious’ continues to dominate headlines in the UFC world, whether it be for his business ventures, social media claims or political aspirations.

Sean O’Malley names the UFC’s next superstarWith McGregor missing from action, O’Malley says it’s on UFC CEO Dana White to find the promotion’s next best thing.

The UFC has experienced a shortage of stars in recent years, but there are a few names that stand out from the fighter roster.

Outside of himself, O’Malley was asked who could be the UFC’s next big star after McGregor.

“Paddy’s definitely up there,” O’Malley mentioned UFC Lightweight Paddy Pimblett.

“Ilia’s definitely a massive star,” O’Malley said of the former UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria.

Ilia Topuria is currently preparing for Charles Oliveira in the main event of UFC 317 where he attempts to become a two-division champion like Conor McGregor. The Spaniard is coming off back-to-back knockouts of Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway at 145lbs.

Paddy ‘The Baddy’ Pimblett isn’t far from a lightweight title fight himself, likely a win away from a title opportunity after dominating Michael Chandler at UFC 314 in April.

Pimblett and Topuria have massive support in their home countries of England and Georgia/Spain, and both fighters are very marketable for the UFC with larger-than-life personalities.