Sean O’Malley Reveals How the White House Card Changed His Fame Outside the UFC

Sean O’Malley has faced some of his toughest challenges against fighters who rely on wrestling and constant pressure. Merab Dvalishvili exposed those struggles by defeating him twice. Since then, he has been struggling to get his bantamweight title back. However, he avenged his defeat against Marlon Vera in 2024 and has since bounced back with wins over Song Yadong and Aiemann Zahabi at the White House card. During the Zahabi fight, fans saw the old ‘Suga’ Show, and his knockout win went viral, making him more popular.

Sean O’Malley Claims His Popularity Doubled After UFC White House Fight

O’Malley claims his popularity has doubled since fighting on the UFC White House card. The former bantamweight champion said he was already used to fans stopping him for pictures, but the attention has grown significantly since the event. During his recent talk with MMA Guru, the 32-year-old said:

“I could never really go anywhere without taking pictures with people. But after the White House card, it’s doubled. All the older generation were watching that fight. If I’m at a casino or a restaurant, older people recognise me.”

O’Malley has definitely become more popular after the win, as the fight introduced him to a wider audience. However, after gaining the audience he wanted, he will now aim for a title shot, as he badly wants to reclaim his belt. After Petr Yan won against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 333, ‘Suga’ immediately called out Yan for a fight.

Sean O’Malley Calls Out Daniel Cormier For Suggesting Song Yadong vs. Petr Yan

O’Malley was confused when Daniel Cormier asked Petr Yan about potentially fighting Song Yadong next. O’Malley pointed out that he had already beaten Song just six months ago and believes he should be next in line for the title shot. During his fight reaction video, the former champion said,

“DC, I don’t know what he’s thinking. I beat like 6 months ago. I’m fighting Petr Yan next, I don’t care. It’s gonna be the greatest, biggest bantamweight fight in UFC history.”

He insisted that he’s fighting Yan next, calling their potential rematch the biggest bantamweight fight in UFC history. Their first fight ended on a very controversial note, as many claimed it was a robbery against the Russian fighter. However, fans will have to wait to see how things go in the rematch if it happens.