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Sean O’Malley has changed his pick for UFC 303 and is now hoping to see Conor McGregor get slept by Michael Chandler.

If you’re wondering why O’Malley is pulling for “Notorious” to lose his UFC return then look no further than the social media cheap shot McGregor took at the UFC bantamweight champion last weekend. McGregor even offered to fly O’Malley out to Ireland to spar, which “Suga” gladly accepted.

O’Malley recently had another chance to reflect on his weekend spat with McGregor. The UFC champion revealed that he was more “sad than mad” about hearing McGregor comments and now wants “Notorious” to get destroyed by Chandler in his return at UFC 303.

Check it out below:

“F—k Conor,” said O’Malley. “I seen a lot of people being like, ‘Damn, I bet Suga’s sad. Suga always talks nothing but great about Conor and he’s his f—king idol.’ He just went on a little tweet rant, f—king booger sugar’d up talking sh-t. ‘I thought you was out for a spar.’

“I was more sad than mad.”

“Now I cannot wait to see Michael Chandler absolutely just sleep him,” he added. “I’m turning up. I’m changing up real quick, f—k Conor. When your idols turn to rivals.”

Insomnia

Who won this awkward dance off between Merab Dvalishvili and Joaquin Buckley?

If this boxing superfight actually goes down do you think Canelo Alvarez can upset Terence Crawford?

What are the odds Dustin Poirier can “finish the story” against Islam Makhachev at UFC 302?

Ryan Garcia had papers served to Bryce Hall and his reaction is hilarious.

In case you missed it, here is a clip of UFC CEO Dana White getting absolutely torched at the Roast of Tom Brady on Netflix.

Where does The Rock’s “Day 1” fighting skills rank on a scale from 1-10?

Are you interested in a matchup between Aljamain Sterling and Movsar Evloev?

Check out Gervonta Davis and Devin Haney nearly coming to blows in Las Vegas on Sunday night.

Good move or bad move for Jake Paul?

Do these future betting odds for a Sean O’Malley vs. Jose Aldo title fight seem off to you?

Do you agree with Demetrious Johnson?

Slips, rips, and KO clips

This knockdown of Naoya Inoue almost resulted in the biggest upset of 2024.

Fortunately, the Japanese powerhouse returned the favor and delivered his own knockout finish later in the fight.

This basketball referee was absolutely obliterated by an on-court suplex.

Random Land

There’s just no way…

Sleep well Maniacs! We’ll be back for more tomorrow night.

MMAmania.com – All Posts

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Sean O’Malley isn’t cool with Conor McGregor anymore.

The UFC bantamweight champion unexpectedly found himself in the crosshairs during a McGregor social media rant directed at both O’Malley and boxing star Ryan Garcia. Garcia tested positive for the banned substance ostarine following his recent win over Devin Haney, which prompted McGregor to call Garcia out for allegedly cheating.

O’Malley also tested positive for ostarine in 2018 and again in 2019, though the United States Anti-Doping Agency later determined that his test results were found to be consistent with the amount that would be found in a tainted supplement. Regardless, McGregor included him in his Garcia tirade.

“I am actually disgusted,” McGregor wrote in a since-deleted tweet. “This ostarine it reminds me of Sean O’Malley — was on that as well. I don’t like this, I’ll bust yous both up. Do yous want to spar? I will set flights right now for you both todo a full-on spar each. Hotel, Black Forge Inn, the lot. Let’s spar O’Malley and Garcia, two little ostarine heads. I’ll ride you both like yous are ostriches.”

On a recent episode of his TimboSugarShow podcast, O’Malley responded to McGregor’s comments.

“F*ck Conor,” O’Malley said. “I seen a lot of people being like, ‘Damn, I bet Suga’s sad. Suga always talks nothing but great about Conor and he’s his f*cking idol.’ He just went on a little tweet rant, f*cking booger sugar’d up talking shit. ‘I thought you was out for a spar.’

“I was more sad than mad.”

O’Malley’s retort was peppered with laughter, so it’s unclear if he actually bears any ill-will against McGregor. He did go as far as to say that when McGregor returns to action at UFC 303 on June 29 against Michael Chandler, he’s rooting for Chandler to knock the former two-division champion out.

“Now I cannot wait to see Michael Chandler absolutely just sleep him,” O’Malley said. “I’m turning up. I’m changing up real quick, f*ck Conor. When your idols turn to rivals.”

If there is any genuine beef between the two, it’s unlikely that O’Malley will hold the grudge for long. For now, the UFC bantamweight champion is attributing McGregor’s outburst to an evening of lighthearted mischief — one that possibly involved recreational drugs.

“He obviously was on some good amount of fun stuff,” O’Malley said. “I think the tweet got deleted pretty quick, but is what it is. I cried for a little bit, I’m over it.”

MMA Fighting – All Posts

Dustin Poirier believes that reigning UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev is better both on the ground and on the feet than his mentor, Khabib Numragomedov.

On Saturday, June 1, ‘The Diamond’ will return to the Octagon for what could very well be the final fight of his illustrious combat sports career. Headlining the promotion’s return to the Prudential Cente in Newark, New Jersey, ‘The Diamond’ will challenge Makhachev for the 155-pound crown in the UFC 302 main event.

With their highly anticipated scrap a few short weeks away, Poirier joined Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour to break down his fight with the ‘Dagestani Destroyer’ and the differences he sees between Makhachev and former lightweight titleholder Khabib Nurmagomedov.

“I think [Islam’s] submission game, jiu-jitsu wise, is a little more versatile than Khabib,” Poirier said. “Khabib had some chokes that he did really well, but Islam’s putting himself in, you could say bad positions, going for armbars. Maybe he loses a position but he trusts his wrestling to get it back.

“I think [Islam] is a little bit more of a threat jiu-jitsu wise and scrambles, but I think his striking’s better than Khabib’s.”

Dustin Poirier knows a thing or two about what it’s like being inside the Octagon with Nurmagomedov. The two went toe-to-toe for the lightweight title nearly five years ago at UFC 242. While ‘The Diamond’ hung in there longer than most, he would eventually submit to ‘The Eagle’ via a third-round rear-naked choke.

Dustin Poirier reacts to Islam makhachev calling him an ‘easy fight’

Going 2-2 in his last four fights, Dustin Poirier’s journey to a third lightweight title opportunity was more a matter of circumstance than anything else. Still, it would be foolish to count out ‘The Diamond’ inside the Octagon. Unfortunately, that appears to be exactly what Islam Makhachev has already done.

During a recent interview with TMZ, Makhachev said: “I have the key for the easy fight. And if I follow the plan, I can beat him easy.”

Reacting to the notion that he’s an “easy fight” for the Dagestani, Poirier warned Makhachev of what happens when you underestimate one of the UFC’s most explosive strikers.

“I hadn’t been keeping up a whole lot but when I was at the gym, Mike Brown, he said ‘Man, this guy might be underestimating your jiu-jitsu and underestimating how dangerous you are.’ I think what he is referring to is an interview of Islam saying this is an easy fight for me,” Poirier said. “I was tagged in a bunch of stuff on Instagram and Twitter, that is where I see a lot of the info of him saying that.

“I don’t know, maybe he goes about all fights like this. But, I can finish and beat anybody at 155 lbs in the world, I really believe that. He doesn’t have to believe it, I am the one who has to believe it and I’m the one who has to go out there and beat his ass, and I can do that” (h/t BJPenn.com).

LowKickMMA.com

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

A trio of UFC 301 fighters who came out victorious could end up sidelined for 180 days due to medical reasons, the Brazilian MMA Athletic Commission reported Monday.

Drakkar Klose, who won a unanimous decision over Joaquim Silva on the preliminary card on May 4 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was handed a 180-day medical suspension which could be reduced to 30 days if cleared by a doctor for a right knee injury.

Ismael Bonfim, victorious in the second bout of the night against Vinc Pichel, walked with crutches during the post-fight press conference, and now must be cleared of left leg and foot injuries to avoid a 180-day term after his decision win.

Dione Barbosa also needs medical clearance to return in 2024 after suffering a left shoulder injury during his decision victory over Ernesta Kareckaite. Additionally, Kevin Borjas, whose left leg was attacked with brutal kicks courtesy of Alessandro Costa, was handed a 180-day suspension pending clearance following his TKO loss.

UFC 301 headliners Alexandre Pantoja and Steve Erceg, as well as co-headliners Jose Aldo and Jonathan Martinez, left with short 30-day suspensions with no contact for 21 days. Pantoja defended his belt in a five-round war, and Aldo was victorious via decision in his return from retirement.

A complete breakdown of event’s medical suspension report can be seen below.

• Ismael Bonfim: Suspended 180 days or until cleared of left foot and leg injury (suspended 30 days, 21 days no contact if cleared)
• Vinc Pichel: Suspended 30 days, 21 days no contact
• Alessandro Costa: Suspended 14 days, seven days no contact
• Kevin Borjas: Suspended 180 days or until cleared of left leg injury (suspended 45 days, 30 days no contact if cleared)
• Mauricio Ruffy: Suspended 14 days, seven days no contact
• Jamie Mullarkey: Suspended 45 days, 30 days no contact
• Dione Barbosa: Suspended 180 days or until cleared of left shoulder injury (suspended 30 days, 21 days no contact if cleared)
• Ernesta Kareckaite: Suspended 30 days, 21 days no contact
• Joaquim Neto: Suspended 30 days, 21 days no contact
• Drakkar Klose: Suspended 180 days or until cleared of right knee injury (suspended 30 days, 21 days no contact if cleared)
• Karolina Kowalkiewicz: Suspended 30 days, 21 days no contact
• Iasmin Lucindo: Suspended 14 days, seven days no contact
• Elvis Brener: Suspended 30 days, 21 days no contact
• Myktybek Orolbai: Suspended 14 days, seven days no contact
• Paul Craig: Suspended 60 days, 45 days no contact
• Caio Borralho: Suspended 14 days, seven days no contact
• Joanderson Brito: Suspended 14 days, seven days no contact
• Jack Shore: Suspended 45 days, 30 days no contact
• Anthony Smith: Suspended 14 days, seven days no contact
• Vitor Petrino Suspended 14 days, seven days no contact
• Michel Pereira: Suspended 14 days, seven days no contact
• Ihor Potieria: Suspended 45 days, 30 days no contact
• Alexandre Pantoja: Suspended 30 days, 21 days no contact
• Steve Erceg: Suspended 30 days, 21 days no contact
• Jonathan Martinez: Suspended 30 days, 21 days no contact
• Jose Aldo: Suspended 30 days, 21 days no contact

MMA Fighting – All Posts

UFC

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

A few weeks ago, Heather Hardy was preparing for a bare-knuckle fight against BKFC champion Christine Ferea. But now it appears her career is over.

The 42-year-old combat sports veteran, who primarily competed in boxing before embarking on a four-fight run with Bellator MMA, announced that she’s stepping back from fighting due to repeated concussions, which she stated has left her with brain damage. Hardy was originally scheduled to compete on May 11 in the BKFC title fight with Ferea, but was pulled from the bout just days before the event.

Now Hardy has broken her silence to explain the medical diagnosis that effectively ended her career.

“My fight for May 11 is off,” Hardy wrote on Instagram. “After my fight last summer with Amanda [Serrano], my vision remained blurred for a few days. I went for an MRI and to get my eyes checked while I was still in [Texas] and it was diagnosed the after effects of a concussion. [In six to eight] months, I should be fine. So basically I needed a fight, and it never got better. My daughter is in college. Everyone thinks I made millions in my career but I didn’t. I went paycheck to paycheck keeping that kid in the best neighborhood so she could go to the best schools. And I needed to take the fight, so long story short a month into training for Christine and everything got worse with my sight.

“I was down to 123 pounds because I couldn’t eat, I wasn’t sleeping, I was so weak. I hadn’t told anyone how bad it was, not my boyfriend not my coaches. I thought I could make it through the ten minute fight, but after a very light sparring session i couldn’t see shit for two days. I didn’t eat or sleep Friday to Monday, and I knew I was too weak to do this shit. After finally seeing a doctor, he said I’ve had too many concussions. When you have a concussion, a piece of your brain dies and you never get it back. Imagine that? In ten years I’ve had too much brain damage. I can’t get any more or else I won’t be able to see. No running, no jogging, no jumping rope, and no getting hit in the head.”

While she never used the word “retirement,” Hardy closed her statement with “so I said the thing … you know what that means,” along with a caption on her video reading, “I’m not fighting May 11, I have brain damage.”

Hardy had a late start to her boxing career, debuting in 2012 when she was 28 years old. Despite that, she put together an impressive undefeated run through her first 22 fights. She captured several titles along the way, but suffered her first defeat to Amanda Serrano in 2019.

In the rematch this past August, Hardy lost a lopsided decision to Serrano after absorbing 278 punishing punches over 10 rounds.

During her brief MMA career, Hardy put together a 2-2 record in Bellator, with her final appearance coming in 2019 in a loss to Taylor Turner by first-round TKO.

If her career is really over, Hardy retires with a 24-3 record with one no-contest in boxing, a 2-2 record in MMA, and also competed in kickboxing and Muay Thai bouts over the years.

MMA Fighting – All Posts

The UFC will return to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on Aug. 3 with UFC Fight Night 246.  The event is headlined by a bantamweight bout between second-ranked Cory Sandhagen and ninth-ranked Umar Nurmagomedov.  UFC officials announced the event and the headliner on Monday.

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Sandhagen (17-4) has won his last three fights and defeated Rob Font via unanimous decision in his last outing.  In his two previous bouts, Sandhagen defeated recent title challenger Marlon Vera and Song Yadong.  “The Sandman” will be looking to secure a title shot and extend his winning streak when he faces Nurmagomedov at Etihad Arena.

Nurmagomedov (17-0) is undefeated and ranked ninth in the 135-pound weight class.  A win over Sandhagen would put Nurmagomedov in line to fight to the title and face the winner of Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili who are rumored to be headlining the UFC 306 fight card at The Sphere in Las Vegas on Sept. 14.

Sandhagen and Nurmagomedov were scheduled to meet in the UFC on ESPN 50 main event last August in Nashville, but Nurmagomedov was forced with withdraw due to a shoulder injury.  Sanhagen went on to face Font instead.         

UFC Fight Night 246 will mark the fight promotion’s 19th visit to Abu Dhabi.

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