During the post-fight press conference of UFC 292, Dana White expressed his enthusiasm for returning to Boston and his optimism about Sean O’Malley’s star power. White was in high spirits following O’Malley’s TKO victory over Aljamain Sterling, crowning him as the new bantamweight champion.
White addressed the matchup and O’Malley’s unique style: “When you think about the fight and you think about Sterling, you say to yourself, ‘How does Sean beat this guy? How does Sean stop the takedown?’ Cejudo couldn’t. But you never know, man, styles make fights.”
A reporter inquired about O’Malley’s star power, pointing out that “The Suga Show” was already a significant UFC star before his title fight. White provided context by sharing impressive statistics: “It crushed the record for the bantamweight championship… we broke the all-time gate record here. Bruce Springsteen just played here and did $5 million. We did over $7 million. The Boston Garden, the craziest sports town on earth, other than their team that plays here, we’re the biggest thing that’s ever been here. So what does that tell you about O’Malley? This is also the biggest bantamweight championship fight ever on pay-per-view globally. It broke the record – biggest bantamweight championship fight. Ever. O’Malley isn’t gonna be a star. He is a star.”
The focus of the press conference revolved around the UFC’s newest champion and the buzz surrounding Sean O’Malley. White compared O’Malley’s rise to the likes of Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey, emphasizing the significant impact he’s making in the UFC community: “Not since the rise of Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey… Everywhere I went yesterday and today [in Boston]: hair, shirts, the whole deal… everybody was wearing O’Malley stuff. You saw the reaction tonight when he won, the place just erupted.”
White also praised the success of Dana White’s Contender Series, highlighting O’Malley’s journey from the show to becoming a champion: “Now we have two champions from the Contender Series and multiple up-and-coming stars coming off that show… Before these guys ever set foot in the UFC, millions of people have seen them fight on the Contender Series. It’s awesome.”