Suga Sean O’Malley CALLS OUT Henry Cejudo as a Weasel + Why he will get a knockout at the White House

Summary

Outta Pocket with RG3 – Suga Sean O’Malley CALLS OUT Henry Cejudo as a Weasel + Why He Will Get a Knockout at the White House

Date: May 4, 2026
Host: Robert Griffin III (RG3) & Grete Griffin
Guest: Sean "Suga" O’Malley (Former UFC Bantamweight Champion)

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Episode Overview

This episode features UFC star “Suga” Sean O’Malley, discussing his headline-making fight at “UFC Freedom 250” on the White House lawn, his mindset through the highs and lows of a champion’s career, infamous rivalries, family life, and his predictions for the fight world. O’Malley offers candid takes on fighter longevity, the psychology of knockouts, his relationships with outspoken fighters, and the business of combat sports.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Fighting at the White House: Once-in-a-Lifetime Stage

• Reaction to the Venue:
  O’Malley reflects on the surreal nature of fighting on the White House lawn, crediting Trump and Dana White for pulling off the event.

  • “Part of me is like, I don’t believe it until we get to DC... but Dana makes stuff happen.” [00:49]

• Preparation for an Outdoor Fight:
  While he trains outside occasionally, O’Malley emphasizes that fighting is fighting—location doesn’t matter unless it’s raining.

  • “Where we fight…None of that matters. As long as it’s not raining, that’d be tough. But we’ll figure it out.” [01:58]

Matchup and Mindset: Zahabi, Knockouts, and Chasing Legacy

• About Opponent Zahabi:
  Acknowledges Zahabi's seven-fight win streak and durability, but makes it clear toughness won’t be enough to beat him.

  • “I’ve fought guys that are really, really tough and that can win fights by being tough. That’s not gonna be good enough to beat me.” [02:39]

• Expectation for the Fight:
  O’Malley promises a devastating finish.

  • “He’s getting knocked out in a spectacular... let’s say that.” [04:17]

• On Knockouts & Patience:
  “The knockouts come when you’re not forcing it… sometimes they don’t come, [but] I do think a moment will present itself with Zahabi.” [04:17]

Career Longevity, Injury, and Championship Outlook

• Retirement Considerations:
  O’Malley takes it fight by fight; grateful for each opportunity, but recognizes the toll of back-to-back title camps.

  • “This could be my last one. I could have one more. I don’t know... The reality of fighting is you never know.” [05:03]

• Mental Shift & Appreciation:
  More money and fame led to a new perspective:

  • “I get to do this. But how many more times do I need to do this?” [06:03]

• Longevity Secrets:

  • Sleep routines, clean eating, and recovery tools (cold plunge, sauna, red light, etc.) are key.
  • “I’m very religious about all of those recovery tools… Still, you know, it’s like, man, I feel it.” [17:37]

Rivalries, Rematches, and UFC Politics

• On Peter Yan & Missed White House Showdown:
  O’Malley wanted Yan for UFC Freedom 250, suggests Yan’s injury/surgery might’ve been a dodge.

  • “I think he was terrified... He had to get surgery, he was so scared.” (Jokingly) [07:47]

• Avenge Losses to Merab:
  Would love to close his career with wins over his toughest rivals.

  • “If I could end my career beating Rob and literally just… that’d be great. That would be the perfect world.” [16:39]

Style, Toughness, and the Art of Combat

• Hardest Fights and Hits:

  • Toughest: “The Morab fights definitely… the toughest.” [21:43]
  • Hardest hit: “Probably the Peter Yan, when he hit me with that left hand in the second round.” [22:12]

• Striking vs. Grappling:
  It all depends on matchups.

  • “Different styles make different matchups. It’s going to be a different fight.” [23:48]

• KO Highlights:
  Favorite finishes include Aljo for the belt, Thomas Almeida, and Eddie Wineland.

  • “Eddie just snoring after the [KO]... I literally slept him.” [20:19]

• Feelings After KOing Opponents:
  “I genuinely do have a feeling of like... Because I, concussions aren’t fun... I do feel partially bad. Depends on who it is.” [21:08]

Family, Fatherhood, and Humility

• Fatherhood’s Impact:

  • “Thank god I have this baby because I lost my mind… the biggest blessing ever.” [25:18]
  • On balance: “Sometimes you don’t know what headspace you want to be in... Do you want to be aggressive?... But it’s a good balance.” [26:51]

• Marriage & Non-monogamy:
  O’Malley on past openness, eventual change for the sake of family stability.

  • “It’s kids, man. I will— I’m not gonna jeopardize not seeing my kids every day.” [28:57]

Hot Takes: MMA Industry, Fighter Pay, and Viral Culture

• If O’Malley Could Change MMA:

  • "Somehow, some way, cutting weight. If they could figure out a way, that'd be great." [29:57]
  • “Cutting weight would change the game. It would be huge.” [30:21]

• On Fighter Pay & New TV Deals:
  O’Malley is fortunate with the UFC, but sees opportunity for more transparency and top stars making even more with Netflix/Paramount.

  • “I haven’t renegotiated my contract... I have a great relationship with the UFC.” [40:14]

• Boxing Crossover (Jake Paul Fights):

  • “I love the Jake Paul boxing fights… As far as boxing, I would love to box. Not Jake, Jake’s a big guy... but I’d like to box.” [38:20]

Rivalries & Notable Relationships

• Sean Strickland Incident:

  • “I like Sean Strickland. He attacked me, I attacked him back, and mine was too far... I don’t want to get hit over the head with a gun.” [31:00]

• Henry Cejudo Clash:
  O’Malley does not hold back:

  • “He’s just a little weasel. I don’t like Henry.” [32:16]
  • “If I was 5’2... I would probably hate me, too. Six foot, rich... he’s 5’2, broke, fat. I get it.” [32:56]

• On Joe Rogan & MMA Guru:

  • “I listen to Rogan consistently... I feel like I’ve learned so much from his podcast.” [33:29]
  • “We brought [MMA Guru] on the pod... He was talking ish about me... Now he’s a buddy.” [34:37]

Perspectives on Fellow Fighters

• Ilia Topuria:

  • “Pound for pound, best in the world... It’s insane what he’s doing right now. So hard to not think he’ll win.” [09:33]

• Israel Adesanya’s Future:

  • “It’s crazy to think, like, when he’s at the top, he’s the GOAT. Lose four in a row and... people forget fast.” [35:39]
  • On retirement decision: “I rely so much on my speed... Once that really starts to slow down—that’s when it’s time to go.” [36:38]

Candid Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Peter Yan Fight & Taking Shots:

  • “He cracked me with the left hand... Being able to get hit and stay focused is a whole skill set. I think you gotta be a little bit crazy.” [23:01]

• On Not Forcing a KO:

  • “Knockouts come when you’re not forcing it... I do think a moment will present itself with Zahabi.” [04:17]

• On Changing His Relationship for His Kids:

  • “I can sacrifice my horniness for [my children].” [28:57]

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Highlights & Timestamps

• White House Fight Announcement & Reaction: [00:49] – [01:47]
• Opponent Analysis (Zahabi): [02:33] – [04:17]
• Mentality on Longevity & Gratitude: [05:03] – [07:02]
• Desire to Face Peter Yan at White House: [07:12] – [08:56]
• Ilia Topuria Analysis: [09:33] – [10:25]
• KO Philosophy & Highlights: [20:19]
• Hardest Fight & Hit: [21:43], [22:12]
• Fatherhood Impact: [25:18] – [26:42]
• On Non-monogamy and Family: [27:59] – [28:57]
• Callout: Henry Cejudo as ‘Weasel’: [32:16]
• Changing MMA (Weight Cutting): [29:57] – [30:38]
• Fighter Pay & New TV Deals: [40:14] – [40:55]
• Sean Strickland Rivalry: [31:00]
• Jake Paul & Boxing: [38:20]

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Tone & Style

Sean O’Malley brings a mix of bravado and introspection; candid and playful but quick to go deep on both fight philosophy and personal growth. He’s self-aware about the absurdities and business of combat sports, direct in his assessment of rivals, and open about the price of success.

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Summary for New Listeners

If you want to catch up on Sean O’Malley’s path to the White House main event, his views on legacy, family, MMA politics, and even spicy rivalries (including a direct call-out of Henry Cejudo), this episode offers a blend of tactical breakdowns, personal philosophy, and unfiltered perspective on where combat sports—and MMA stars—go next. O’Malley gives you an inside look at fighter psychology—what it means to chase greatness, balance real life, and stay “outta pocket” at every turn.

Transcript

[A]

Yo, yo, yo. What's up? Out of pocket, fam. It's your boy RG3 and 130 time. All American, Greta. That's right. That's a real number, people. Today we've got one of the most electrifying attractions in all of sports today. You're talking about the former UFC bantamweight champion, a master of distance timing, and has viral knockout power. I'm talking about the one and only Sugar. Sean o' Malley is in the building, baby. How you doing, brother?

[B]

Oh, appreciate that intro. Doing well. Doing well. Doing a bunch of media in la and it's, you know, happy to be here with you guys.

[A]

Yeah, man. Let's.

[C]

Let's get to opening drive.

[A]

Let's get to the opening drive. Let's go ahead and rip the band.

[C]

UFC Freedom250. What does that mean for you to be fighting at the White House lawn? Should I say?

[B]

Yeah, it's insane. It's like, part of me is like, I don't believe it until we get to dc. It's like, you know, I see it, and it's like, all right, now it feels real. It's still wild. Like, we're fighting outside, we're fighting on, you know, Trump's birthday's on a Sunday, so we got to fight. It's just the whole thing's crazy. This wouldn't be done without, like, a president like Trump or a boss like Dana White, like, those two. The mixture between those two is what's creating this event, and it's. It's insane.

[A]

That's true. Now. Now, be honest with me, Sugar. Did you. Did you think that Dana was high when he. When he told you, or he was joking when he told you it was going to be a fight at the White House?

[B]

I mean, I kind of heard it when everyone else heard it. Like, when. When I think Trump asked Dana and he said he told him, let's fight the White House, and Dana's like, all right, I'm gonna send my team out there and look like I. I kind of just heard it with everyone else. I wasn't that surprised, though. Like, they did the sphere. They did UFC Fight Island. They make happen. Like, Dana makes. Makes stuff happen, and. And I'm not surprised that he's going through with this, but it is still insane.

[A]

Now, this environment is going to be pretty different for you guys, right? Being outside, you're used to fighting in arenas. Has there been anything you've done in your training to, like, prepare you for that?

[B]

No. No. I mean, you know, I run Outside, I train outside, sometimes I'll run the mountain. But it's like as far as like sparring or hitting mitts and stuff. I don't really know if there would be a benefit of that. You know, the humidity is going to be different. We're gonna be on the east coast, on the west coast, like there's just nothing. You know, maybe I'll sauna a few times, a few extra times. The most part it's gonna be just show up and, and you know, the better man it's gonna be who's, who's better that night and I'm gonna be that guy. So it's where we fight. Inside, outside, none of that matters. As long as not raining, that'd be tough. But we'll figure it out. Even if it does.

[C]

What kind of problems do you think Zahavi presents to you in this fight since he's on the seven fight winning streak right now?

[B]

I mean, yeah, he's on a seven fight winning streak. He's probably super confident. He's very durable. He got soccer, soccer kicked in the head by Jose Aldo and ended up winning the round. Like there's, there's, I thought guys like this though, Cheetos like that, you know, I need him. You know, I beat the piss out of Cheeto and he's still stuck around. So it's like I've fought guys that are really, really tough and that can win fights by being tough. That's not gonna be good enough to beat me. He's gonna have to bring more to the table than being tough. And it's, it's a great matchup for me to go out there and put on a vintage sugar performance.

[A]

You know, we, we're fans of the sport, fans of you as well. We almost had a chance to play together in a celebrity flag football game. But I remember I was looking forward, I was trying to throw you some touchdowns, man, I was trying to throw you some touchdowns

[B]

so much. And that needs to happen. I, I, I literally, I want to do stuff like that so bad. Like, part of me like, like, come on, just, I don't need to be running out there blowing a keely, doing some. But the other part of me, like my childhood dream and going out there playing with you guys would be so much fun. Like it's gonna happen. So we'll make it happen.

[A]

We'll make it happen. And you talk about as a hobby and toughness. Well, I mean we've seen you finish a fight with a Liz Frank injury, you know, hobbling around for an entire three minutes of. Of the last round. When you go against these tougher, tougher guys that are. That are pretty hard to put out, it's almost like when you. When you hit them good and you, like, rock them, they almost come back harder. How does that change your approach going into the fight? And then when you're in the octagon, knowing, you know, I'm going to try to put this guy's lights out, but I also know that he can be very, very dangerous when I do clock him.

[B]

Yeah, it's. It's the shot that just. The knockouts come when you're not forcing it. Like, they just. They just come naturally, and sometimes they don't come. The Cheeto fight didn't come. The Song fight, you know, that moment didn't happen. I do think a moment will present itself with. With Zahabi. I think he's gonna be. He's gonna want to get his hands on me. He's gonna want to touch me, he's gonna want to come forward. He's gonna want to. Want to punch at me, and, you know, that's gonna be. Ultimately what gets him knocked out is his toughness and his. His. I don't want to say too much, but he's getting knocked out in a spectacular. Let's say that.

[C]

I love injuries and just the brutality of the sport. You have hinted that this year might be your final chapter, no matter what. So is this kind of the last ride for Sugar Sean, or.

[B]

You never know. I. I literally could fight 10 more times. Like, I would love that. My. My body holds up. You know, I'm 31. I'm. You know, I'm still in my prime. I'm still good. If my body holds up, I'd love to fight 10 more times. But the reality of fighting is you never know. I've been saying this probably the last three, four fights. It's like, this could be my last. It always can be your last one. And I think that's just the. I just understand that's the reality of the sport. So I try to be grateful and take every opportunity with, like, this. This, like, gratitude of this could be it. So you never know, this could be. This could be my last one. I could have one more. I don't know. I try to just take it fight by time or fight by fight and go with the flow. And so far, it's been good.

[A]

What changed that for you and your mindset? Because, like I said, we're fans of this, we're fans of you. We've seen you grow and mat over the years, but it didn't feel like that way early on in your fighting career. It was almost like, I'm gonna fight for 25 years. It is what it is. What made you have that change in mindset to say I need to be more appreciative of what's in front of me?

[B]

Yeah, it's a great question. I. I don't know what. I don't know if there was, like, a specific moment. You know, I think the. The four title fights back to back to back to back was a lot. You know, it's just the title fights camps were long. They're brutal. There were two of them were Vers Marob, which were super, you know, So I think part of it was just like, it's a lot on the body. So I think that's kind of where I started thinking, all right, how many more of these I got? How many more of these weight cuts I got in me? You know, it's like, when I didn't have, you know, the fame or the money, it's like, yeah, I'll fight forever. But then you get that, and you're like, all right, I kind of got what I. What I got what I was after. It was nice. I enjoy it, and I want to, you know, continue. I love making money. I love putting on big fights, but there's just, like, how many more, you know, I started thinking about it, you know, the more money I made, like, how many more times I got. I get to do this. I really do feel like I get to do it every time I get in there, you know, I get to do this. But how many more times do I need to do this?

[C]

Get to knock out people for a living. What a cool job to have.

[B]

It is the best job. It's. It's terrifying. It's exciting. It's all of the above.

[C]

Would you rather be fighting Peter Young for the bantamweight title at the White House, though?

[B]

Yes.

[C]

Period.

[B]

That's the fight I wanted. I wanted the. I thought that's the fight that was gonna. And I think if I went out there and maybe knocked Song out in spectacular fashion, I think I would have got that. Didn't go that way.

[C]

Do you believe you?

[B]

I don't know.

[C]

The controversial fight against him in 2022.

[B]

Yes. I've watched that fight hundreds of times, and it was a very close fight. I do think I did more damage in the first and third round, and it was a sick fight. It was a great fight, but I just I don't know if he was ready for the White House card. I know he had supposedly had back surgery or some kind of back surgery, so it's hard to say.

[A]

Do you think that. That Peter Yan was. Was scared to fight you?

[B]

I think he was terrified. Yeah. Yeah. He had to make. He had to get surgery. He was so scared. No, I, I think Peter Yan's one of the best guys in the division. But there's. I, I mean, if he, I, I'd like to say if he really wanted that fight and I really wanted that fight and it's at the White House. You know what I mean? I don't know if it was him. I don't know if there's ufc. I don't know what. But I definitely was asking for that fight.

[A]

I think the question that the fans have is like, at what point is there a bigger fight than that at the White House? You know what I mean? For your division?

[B]

No, I agree. Me versus Peter right now is. I mean, Peter versus Murab rematch is. It's the second fight was so entertaining. It was such an incredible fight. I've rewatched it multiple times and it's the highest level of fight. It was a beautiful fight. But would people rather watch that rematch or me versus Peter? I don't know. I mean, that's the. That would be a question for the fans, but I just feel like there was again, maybe Peter wasn't ready physically for the fire. Just didn't want it and wanted. Can't imagine he wants to fight Marab more than he wants to fight me, but didn't get done. But hey, we got. We go out there and put on a viral knockout against Amen. I think that'll give me the. The title shot.

[A]

Yeah, I think speaking for the fans, they definitely want to see you versus Peter. You know, much luck.

[C]

Do you think Conor McGregor should have been on the White House card?

[B]

The White House card? Maybe not. I think it's just so unpredictable right now. I think the White House card needed. Needed something that's going to be. It's going to happen. Ilia, Justin, that's going to happen. There's no if it's going to happen. Connor. International Fight Week or whatever the. I've seen rumors of whatever that is. I hope to have. I'm the biggest Conor fan. I literally want to see Conor return so bad. I would love it.

[C]

Between Ilya and Justin. Who are you taking?

[B]

Ilya is just right now, pound for pound, best in the world. He's knocked. He's knocked out three hall of Famers in a row. Knocked out three legs in a row at the top, one of the toughest divisions. It's insane what he's doing right now. So it's hard to go, you know, it's hard to not think he's going to win. If anyone can go out there and fighting's crazy. Who's got a puncher's chance? Justin Gaethje, you know, White House on the lawn, Meant to be, maybe it's meant to be, maybe. We'll see. But Ilya is just on another level. I truly believe that.

[A]

You know, Sugar, one of the things that I admire about you is the fact that you are a student of the game. So, like, you don't just, you know, fight train and just like, go home and do whatever. You watch the other fights. So when you, when you study Ilia Topuria, like, what makes him so great outside of just his knockout power?

[B]

Confidence, his mindset, he believes he'll knock anybody out. He's just. There's. People don't understand how important confidence is in a fighter, and he's got that at the ultimate highest level. If you ask him how his fight against Justin Gage is gonna go, he's gonna tell him to knock his head off. That's why Conor was so dangerous, he was so confident. So I do think confidence is a real, real weapon, and Ilya has it.

[A]

You talked about that confidence and you brought it, brought up Conor again. Like, what was going through your mind when Conor called out exactly how he was going to knock out Jose Aldo?

[B]

That's funny. I'm watching the documentary again, the Notorious. I started it last night, I was watching it today, and it's crazy. Even three weeks before the fight happened, it was saying, I'm going to. I'm going to be. He's going to be aggressive, throw his right hand, I'm a step back left. Like, he literally called it weeks before the fight. And it's just. It literally, it was so legendary. It was the way in even the first fight they were supposed to have, he pulls out, Chad Mendez steps in, he gets the job done. Makes it that much bigger of a fight, makes that much more exciting. And this was just so, so sweet.

[C]

What do you think has the advantage between Pereira and Gain?

[B]

Man, I would have loved to see gone vs. Aspinall play out more. It was going to be an interesting fight. Surreal was landing some good shots, hitting and moving, making it difficult for Tom. Like, the more I've watched him, I'm like, okay, this is gonna be a difficult. This isn't gonna be. I mean, I say that. Watch Beheada land one. One shot puts lights out. But I think, yeah, it's gonna be a lot more. I think it's gonna be a more difficult fight for Pereira than people think. Maybe. I don't know. I guess I don't really know what people think, to be honest. I don't know what they. I don't know. I. It's gonna be an interesting fight.

[A]

Gon's really nimble on his feet, and he. And he. He's not known for power, but he does. He does have that power. I think a lot of the fans, of course, want to see Alex pay to go out there and get the job done. Do you think if you were the ufc, do you think Pereira winning is the bridge to get Jon Jones to come back?

[B]

I mean, what if he goes out there and just flatline's gone? Maybe Jon's like, you know what? Life. I'm undefeated. You know, you just. You never know people's financial situations either. You never. Maybe he's like, man, I don't really want to fight, but, you know, 10 mil sounds nice. Like, it's so hard. You don't know what's going on. People's personal lives, you don't know. You just don't know. But that would be an absolutely insane. And it's all. I feel like it would have to be the biggest fight of all time. Jon Jones vs. Alex Peretta might be the biggest of all time.

[A]

If you were. If you were doing a breakdown for that, how do you think that fight goes?

[B]

I think Jon Jones finds a way to get him down and just kind of, oh, man, I don't know. Jon's been out the game for a minute, too. PETA's been in it. They're both older, too. Both. They're almost 40. Like, it's. It's hard to. Oh, man, the confidence PETA has, and, like, he looks huge at heavyweight. Massive. I just don't understand how he just keeps. He's just such a massive guy, and he's. But Jon Jones makes. He makes stuff look easy.

[A]

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[C]

move to the deep end?

[A]

You ready to go to the deep end?

[C]

All right, so you have clearly had insane career flow from perfect to undisputed champ. What changed in your training and your mindset after those two matchups to Merab?

[B]

Nothing really. Like, I was. I never. I never really felt like I was unbeatable. I never really, like. It wasn't like I lost, and I'm like, oh, my God, I can't. I lose in the gym. You know, people beat me in the gym. It's never so. It wasn't like this big, like, oh, my God, I can't believe I lost. It wasn't like I was like, all right, you know, it was. That was the time it happened. The first fight was close. Second fight choked me. It was. It. I don't want to say embarrassing, because it's like, it is what it is, but that's kind of the feeling you get. Like, God choked by his little guys. 5, 4. His nose is on the left side of the face like that. But, yeah, I felt it was just bad. I'm still. I still know what I'm capable of. I still know how good I am. I still know my skill set. I still believe in myself, believe in my skills, believe in my team and our, you know, preparation. We didn't really change anything. Went and got the job done against Song, who's very, very explosive. Hits hard. Had to go out there and kind of, you know, point fight him, in a sense, and go out there and got the job done there, and, you know, we're back in the winning column, and it feels good.

[A]

Yeah. And I think as fans, we. We love to see that. You know, we've seen guys, you know, like, Israel, you know, you talk About Usman, it. It just ebbs and flows. You're on top, and then all of a sudden it's like, how do you respond when adversity hits for you? Let's look into the future. You beat Zahabi, you get your title shot with Peter Yan, you win. That is the number one focus for you at that point. To get. To get Marab and avenge those losses.

[B]

It would be good. Oh, man. If I get. Get the. If I could end my career beating Rob and literally just. And basically end undefeated, you know, lost to Cheeto, beat Cheeto, lost Robbie, that'd be great. That would be. That would be the perfect world. Go out there, beat Peter. I mean, even Rob beats Peter. You know, I go out there and the. The mar fight, it's. It's possible. I wouldn't say it's very likely, but in a fun, you know, fan fantasy world where it's like, perfect play out Aon Peter, like, that would be great. But just the fight game's so crazy. Just in six months, there could be a new star at bantamweight that everyone like, you gotta fight this guy. And it's like, so it's. It's hard to say, you know, Marab's older. I don't know how many more he seemed. That dude seems like, I guess he'd fight till he's 60 and probably still. He might be 60 already, but. Yeah, so we'll see how. We'll see how everything plays out.

[C]

What is your secret to longevity in such a brutal sport?

[B]

I'm trying to figure that out too. That one out too. No, I think. I mean, for I'm very. Sleep schedule, go to bed, wake up same time every night, eat as clean as possible. And, you know, I got the cold plunge at home, the hot tub, the sauna, staying on that, the red light, the pemf. I'm very religious about all of those recovery tools. And even still, you know, it's like, man, I. I feel it. I feel it. So I don't know. Trying to figure out the. The longevity secret as well.

[C]

What does your day even look like after just a rough, rough fight? Like, what's the next day look like after the.

[B]

You get on the jet. This is my favorite part. After a win, get on the jet, fly home with the fam. We got the team, the fam. We're flying. Like, it's just. It's like that moment's so cool, flying home, you know, it just feels good. Get home and it's so weird after a fight. It's so weird because in your training camp, every day is scheduled. You have a sk. Like, you're on a very, very tight. And then right after the fight, you wake up Monday, like, what? I got nothing to do today. It's a weirdo. You know, I still go to the gym, grab a coffee, like, hang out with the people, whatever. It's just. It's so weird right after fights, like, for two weeks, you just feel. It's almost like you feel lost. Even after a win, it feels good, but it's just like, it's a. I don't know, the highs of, you know, what goes up must come down. And you ride that high of winning a fight, it's like you kind of come down below base level of just peace, and then you got to come and come back up and find it. But it's definitely a lot easier than losing. Losing is not as fun, but winning's great addictive.

[A]

Is that high after winning, it's.

[B]

Yeah, it's one of the best feelings on earth. But what you got to go through, the. Everything to get to that is. Is a lot, you know, not just the training camp. The weight cut, you know, then the fight, and then it's just like. It's such a relief. It's such a high high. But the reason it's such a high high is because how much you have to go through to get there.

[A]

Is there something that you deprive yourself of during camp that you're like, after the fight, man, I can't wait to go get. Get me some of that.

[B]

Oh, my God. Well, I've saved my. I saved my chi, you know, but after. After the fight, I don't have to save my cheese much. Food. Yeah. So, you know, just. We very strict in camp. Camp, Very strict in camp. So. But food. Food. I still eat pretty clean after, but there's, like, a couple weeks that go by to where I'm just like, can't quit eating. Just even if it's good stuff, it's still, like. It still just can't quit eating. It's like a mental eating disorder after a fight, this eating disorder.

[C]

What's been your favorite knockout in the ufc?

[B]

It's got to be Aljo, you know, getting the belt in Boston. It's got to be Aljo as far as, like, sickness, like, the Thomas Almeida. And in the Eddie Wineland one, those two are, like, tied for just epic knockouts. The. The Thomas when he's laying on his back, eyes crossed, and then Eddie just snoring after the, like, I Literally, like, when people say, I slept them. I'm asleep, that I'm. I literally slept him. He was snoring, and you could hear it on the cameras. It was crazy.

[A]

Oh, my God. Are you. Are you a guy that when you do sleep somebody, you do knock them out? Are you. Do you have, like, sinister thoughts in that moment? Because I know some fighters say, like, I do this for a living, but, like, I feel bad for the guy when he's on the. On the canvas. Are you a Feel bad for the guy? Are you like, hell, yeah. I just did that type of guy.

[B]

I genuinely do have a feeling of, like. Because I. Concussions aren't fun. I've had them. They're horrible. Like, when I give one to someone, I'm like, all right, that's gonna. That sucks for them. I do feel partially bad. Depends on who it is, too. Eddie. Eddie was a nice guy. Thomas Almeida was a nice guy. Aljo. That one felt pretty good, to be honest. But at the end of the day, I did. I mean, I still felt. I'm like, damn, like that, but I still felt kind of bad. But for the most part, I would say I tend to feel a little. You know, there's definitely, like, sorry, what's.

[C]

What's the toughest fight you have ever been in?

[B]

The Morab fights? Just that, yeah, those mob fights were definitely the. The toughest.

[A]

What'd you learn about yourself and how you applied it going forward after those fights?

[B]

It's. It's always something. We've. We've been working on. Wrestling. Wrestling. Wrestling. I. You know, I started the sport a little bit late. I started wrestling really late, and it's just. It wasn't necessarily. I learned something new. It was just like. It's what I got to work on.

[C]

All right? Now, I asked you, what's your favorite ko, but what's the hardest you have ever been hit in the Octagon?

[B]

Probably the Peter Yan, when he hit me with that left hand in the second round, I dropped him. I hit him with a beautiful left hand, dropped him to a knee. You know that from five minutes, from when the bell started, to four minutes, that minute was insane. Like, he. He cracked me with the left hand. That was a crazy, crazy minute, crazy round, crazy fight. But, yeah, it's probably the hardest I've been hit.

[A]

What did that. Like, we. We performed. Or should I not perform? We went to the UFC Performance Center. Performance center in Vegas, and it's like, you know, I'm working there with Forrest Griffin, and I'm like, you know, maybe. Maybe I want to do this. And then he hit me, and I was like, yeah, I don't know if I don't. I don't know if I want to do this anymore. Because it's different when you get hit. You know, when you're punching the bag. You know this. So, like, yeah, put us in that moment when Jan hit you. Like, what does that do to your equilibrium? And. And how do you recover so fast from that?

[B]

You got to be in crazy shape to come back from shots like that. Like, the better shape you're in, harder shots you can take. And I was in really, really good shape for. That was a big moment for me. And he hit me with that left hand, but right after he hit me with it, he grabbed me and then took me down. So I was like, I didn't really. I don't really know how my leg. Like, I. I've watched it back. My legs kind of get a little wobbly, but he takes me down right after, and I kind of get. You know, get my bearings and go from there. But, yeah, getting hit is. You know, it's a whole nother. Like, being able to get hit and stay focused is a whole skill set. Whole. You know, I think you got to be a little bit crazy in the head to be able to handle that stuff. But it's. Yeah, it's a very odd sport.

[C]

What is harder to do? Is it harder to out strike somebody or is it harder to out grapple them?

[B]

Everyone's just so different. Different. Different styles make different matchups. So it just depends on everyone's style. It's going to be a different fight.

[A]

So you. You talked about Zahabi. You know, he's a kickboxer.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So, like, for you, is that something that you're like, thank God I'm not having to work against a grappler. Or is it like. Nah, I'd. I'd love to get a grappler again, because I want to show how much I've grown.

[B]

I mean, if they can give me kickboxers, line them up. Wrestling. No, to be honest, my favorite sport. Like, if I could pick what I went and did at practice, like, slap hands and grapple, like, that's the most fun. It's. It's. That's the best. But as far as, like, I'm gonna go out there and perform, it's like, I gotta. I gotta go, you know, and the hobby's not gonna be easy by any means. He's got a really awkward style. He's got GSPs in his corner for USA hobbies in his court. He's got a great corners on a seven fight win streak. Like, this isn't an easy fight by any means, but I do believe I can look easy and love that it's kickboxing fight, you know, I gotta be prepared. You gotta, you gotta, you gotta, I gotta assume like they're gonna have a plan B and that's gonna be wrestle, take me down, put me on the fence, try to take me down. So it's not like gonna wrestle this camp at all and just kickbox. Maybe we will. I don't know.

[A]

All right, so we're gonna call this the sugar daddy segment.

[B]

All right.

[A]

But we wanted to talk to you a little bit just about family. Family, you know, talk about your family a bit.

[C]

How, how has becoming a father changed your perspective on finding in your career overall?

[B]

I, I, Elena, she's five. And in 2020, it was the, we found out Danny was pregnant right before one of my fights. So each, so the three trimesters, she was pregnant, I fought each trimester. So it was, it was pretty cool to be, to go through that whole, like, fight camp back to back to back, and Danny was pregnant. But at the time, it was just such perfect timing because it was my first time making like six figures. It was my first time because, you know, famous on social media and I'm this UFC star making money and I'm just. Now I have this baby. And I was like, thank God I have this baby because I lost my mind and I had never, I never really partied, but I kind of partied for the first few times, like, and I was like, damn, I could get lost in this. So it was very, it was very crazy timing to accidentally have. And I wanted kids. I've known I wanted kids for, since I was little. I knew I wanted kids. So eventually kids were in the, were in the plans. But having Orlando when we did was the biggest blessing ever. It was the best thing. And then, you know, last year she wanted, she wanted a baby brother and she got a baby brother. So now we got a. He turns one this month. Matteo turns one this month. So congratulations. Yeah, thank you. It's the best thing being a dad's. Yeah, there's, it's the coolest thing ever. It's undescribable. You can't explain how put into words what it's like, you know, seeing, seeing your babies and it's the best thing ever.

[A]

What would you say is the biggest challenge you faced? Balancing the intensity of the fight game and then your role as a husband and a father.

[B]

Yeah, I don't, I think it's been pretty. I feel like it's been pretty smooth. Like there's this. Sometimes you don't know what headspace you want to be in in a fight camp. Do you want to be aggressive? Do you want to. Do you want to be that alpha? All time. All the time. And then sometimes they go home and you're like, you know, you just kind of, you know, you're. You chill. Sometimes I'm like, I gotta be more mean, but I'm like, I don't really fight mean. So I think it's a good balance. Go to the gym, you're bumping your little baby in the Lambo out of spa. Yeah. You know, you're in that kill mindset. Then you're cruising home exhausted, go home to the family and just completely gel out. And I think it's a good balance. So I don't, I haven't really had an issue with it. Danny, my wife is just such a great mom and like, so it's. I feel so lucky that like when I leave, it's like I'm leaving her with the kids, with the best person to possibly leave them with. So it's never an issue there. And I feel, feel super lucky.

[C]

Anyway, a couple of times. Talking about your marriage to Danny and your non monogamous marriage to Danny, what was that conversation like?

[B]

It's an interesting conversation. It's a, it's a, it's a wild topic and everyone has different opinions on it. And I was, the thing that I got in trouble with was Tim and I have a podcast. We did the Tim Sugar show for so long and I was always just so public about the, the topic and how our relationship was and you know, she didn't like that. And I, you know, crossed boundaries that I shouldn't have crossed. And you know, it was interesting. It was, you know, it's not like that anymore, but had a good run while it, while I was.

[A]

Damn, that's a, that's a real laugh. I know it.

[C]

He said, I had a good running.

[A]

What I'm saying here is having, having watched you over the years, that's huge, man. You know, just like that level of, you know, maturity to attack the topic in that way. What. I guess what changed it for you? What made you say, you know what? I'm gonna, I'm gonna do this. And this is. Danny's the only one that, that I want to be with.

[B]

It's Kids, man. It's like, I'm. I will. I'm not gonna jeopardize not seeing my kids every day. I love Danny, been with for 10 years, but ultimately, it's like, I just. I can'. Like, all right, I get Atlanta Mateo for three days, and I just couldn't. I could never do that. And it's just like, I can sacrifice my horniness for.

[A]

Yeah, you know, Good for you. We're gonna stay there just for a second. Not to belabor the point, but I just think it's huge, especially in today's world where, you know, guys are being called simps and everything under the sun. For you to showcase, like, hey, my. My girl just. My wife didn't love that, so I'm gonna honor her, and we're gonna do it this way. So I just want to give it up for you on that. I think that's huge, man.

[B]

Appreciate it. Appreciate it.

[C]

One of our last segments is called the Viral Spiral. You know, hot takes, predictions. If you could change one thing about the MMA landscape today, what would it be?

[B]

Somehow, some way. Cutting weight. If they could figure out a way, that'd be great.

[C]

Hey, there is way. It's called Ozempic.

[B]

Yeah, there we go. Everyone's on those Olympic.

[C]

Everyone is also.

[A]

Not us. We're not on.

[B]

But the whole Hollywood is.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

To answer your.

[A]

To get further to that, how would you like to see the. The cutting weight changed?

[B]

No, man. There's been so many. So many people bring it up, but no one really has an answer. No one really has, like, hey, let's try this. So I don't know, but I think cutting weight would change. Change the game. It would be huge. It would be. I don't. Someday someone will figure something out. AI will probably have some great idea.

[C]

It's also, like, so unhealthy. Like, the videos you see of people cutting weight, it's like, that can't be healthy.

[A]

Yeah, that's. That's exactly what he's getting at.

[C]

Yeah, that's rough.

[A]

Speaking of unhealthy, you had a physical altercation with Sean Strickland at the ufcpi. Things got very heated and personal, you know, a couple times with you guys. Do you hate Sean Strickland?

[B]

I like Sean Strickland. I just. He attacked me. I attacked him back, and mine was too far. And, you know, he's. I'm not gonna sit here and say anything bad about Sean Strickland because I don't want to get hit over the head with a gun. I think you Literally shoot me. So I have nothing bad to say. I'm actually. You know, he's fighting Hamza this weekend. It would be absolutely insane to watch him beat Hamza. I'm going for him. I'm rooting for him. I don't have nothing. Nothing negative say against Sean. He's had his wild life and he's a character, but I don't. I like Sean Strickland.

[A]

Stay there. Who do you have. How do you think that matchup goes with Strickland's volume versus, you know, Chimaev's? Just brute force.

[B]

Yeah, It's. It's gonna be. God, I don't know. I'm so excited for it. I'm so excited for that fight. I hope it happens. You just never know with Hamza. He gets. He gets these sicknesses or whatever, but I feel like Hamza could. I'd love to see Hamza ragged all. And then Strickland somehow come back and, like, get it done in the fourth or fifth. I. I don't know. Well, I hate predicted fights because that's just like. I feel like they're always coin flips, really.

[C]

All right. Have you and the Henry says Udo ever made up? Because he always seems to just question your legitimacy. Does that piss you off?

[B]

It would if he was respected in the community. But he's just like. He's five foot. No one respects him. He's. He pulled out of a wrestling match with Merab the day of because he got scared. He retired when he was champ because he wanted more money. Didn't get more money. Had to come. He's just a little weasel. I don't like Henry.

[A]

No, I mean, I think. I think obviously I've followed everything that's going on and what's been happening, but for you, do you. I want. It doesn't seem like you care what. And you should do judo thinks. But why do you think that he's voicing stuff and in questioning your legitimacy when everything that you've been through has proven that you're legitimate.

[B]

Has he said something recently or so or just in general? Okay. Yeah. It's just jealousy is not a good emotion to live with. And that dude. I mean, it's just. I get it. If I was five two and just. I would probably be. Hate me too. Six foot rich. You know, it's like he's five two, broke, fat. It's like I get it where he's coming from. I really do literally feel the same way.

[C]

Why do you. Why do you love Joe Rogan so Much. What. What does he mean for the sport of mma?

[B]

Yeah, I love Joe Rogan. Stuff was kind of funny. I listen to Rogan consistently. You know, I have for I don't even know how many or 10 years or whatever. Been on the podcast three times. Like, just. I don't know. I. I feel like I've learned so much from his podcast with him bringing on different people, and it's like, oh, so you know some guests, and then you go down rabbit holes about them and then you just learn so much stuff. So. And it's. It's just such a. Yeah, it's crazy. But I do. I do really love Joe Rogan's podcast, and therefore, I guess I love Joe Rogan too.

[A]

Do you have a great relationship with Joe?

[B]

I don't really feel like I have any. Some, like, I don't. It's not like we text or chat or, you know, it's. It's never. It's what's up. And when I'm in Vegas with the fights. So I've never actually, like, I bet when you do a podcast with somebody, you're hanging out with them, but never hung out, like, off camera.

[A]

Okay, totally understand, totally understand. Someone I think you have hung out with on cameras. MMA guru. Is that true?

[B]

Ah, no, but I do feel like me and him are boys. I. We've never met him at off camera. On camera, Yes. I don't know if that's on camera. Loved Goo. He's a character.

[A]

Why do you think certain people in the MMA community don't like him?

[B]

I mean, he just. It depends if people. Some people are sensitive. Some people, you know, care what people think too much. And it's just like, if he goes, makes a video and, you know, makes fun of you, it's like, easy to be like, what that guy? So it's like he's made fun of a lot of people and he's rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. But, I mean, that's how our relationship started. He was talking ish about me, and I come on my podcast and, you know, Tim and I get. We're the first person to really give him a platform to. When he was really not anybody and he was talking. We brought him on the pod. He's like, I thought you lost the second round to Thomas. It was funny back and forth banner. But, you know, he's just a. He's just a young buck doing his thing and his, you know, set up by himself in his living room with his cam and talking fights. So he's I like guru.

[C]

Way to make somebody that talks about you an ally. Bring them on the board.

[B]

He's close or not. He's a. He's a buddy.

[C]

Okay. Okay. Where do you think Israel Adesanya goes from here?

[B]

I don't know. I'd like. I was rooting for him, man. I really want to see him get back in the wind. Call him. I think he's on a four fight losing streak, and he made it sound like he wasn't done. He made it sound like he's got more in the tank, which I love, you know, but it's crazy to think, like, at the. When he's at the top, he's the goat. Then he lose four in a row and it's like, all right, it's. People forget fast. And like, the MMA fans, they. They switch up real fast. I think he still has a lot of fans, but it's like, I mean, when you lose four in a row, it's like, you gotta. You gotta win. You gotta get it one more. You gotta get a win.

[A]

When you look at that from like, the fighter's mindset, how do you. Obviously you haven't retired, but how do you know, like, all right, it's time. It's. It's time to go, because I'm with you. We. We love Izzy. His fight style is incredible. When he was at the top of his game, you know that pray to knockout, but it's been a lot of fights since then. How do you know, like, all right, it's time to go.

[B]

I don't know if it's as simple as knowing or not. I think it's. I mean, you got to. For me, I'm going to. I'm going to have honest conversation with Tim and be like, hey, when I started looking slower on the mitts, when I don't have that crazy, like, like that speed, like, that's probably my time to go. I rely so much on my speed, and I think that's what really puts me at the level I'm at. Like, I have great skill and, and there's a lot more behind that, but I really do think my speed sets me apart. And I think once that really starts to kind of slow down, it says when it's time to go.

[A]

But don't you think it's hard. It's hard to know when you're in the arena because, like, we got Mike Tyson fighting at 60 years old, right? Like, he. They're. They're going out there and they're thinking, I think I got One more in me. Like that Vince Carter meme, you know, I got one more in me. How do you overcome that? If you could just put yourself in their shoes.

[B]

It depends too. Again, financially, if you, if you don't got one more in you, but you also don't got any money in the bank, it's like, well, I got one more in me. So it's like, depends. There's, there's more that goes into it than thinking, should I be in there? Physically, I don't know, probably not. But financially I need to be in there. So there's a lot more that goes into it.

[A]

Makes sense. Last one for me would be when you see the fights like the Jake Paul's and what he's done to some of the UFC greats, Woodley Silva. And does any part of you, like, think that that's legitimate boxing or would you ever step into the ring with a guy like a Jake Paul, since you are, you know, you, you're, you've got great hands. But as you know, UFC and boxing are different. But just what are your thoughts on that? And would you ever step in the ring?

[B]

I love the Jake Paul boxing fights. Every time there's a big Jake Paul fight, I'm, I love it. I'm, I'm all in on it, watching the countdowns, making content about it. I love those. I love the chaos and you know, I think he's got a pretty cool story. Disney star, depressed, doesn't know what to do, finds boxing. I love boxing. Like, it's, it's a cool story. I, I really like Jake. I'm a fan of Jake, I'm a buddy of Jake, business partner with Jake, and I love what he's done for, I mean, the sport of boxing, sport of the combat sports in general, it's super impressive. The amount of money he's been able to generate is insane. And so I love it, I love it all. As far as boxing, I would love to box. Not Jake, Jake's. Jake's a big guy. Jake's 220. He's a big guy guy. So no, not. But I'd like to box. I definitely would like the box.

[A]

Yeah. I always tell people when you talk about Jake Paul and boxing, boxing is not play play. He has gotten to the point where he's actually pretty dang good because of the amount of work that he's put in. So I'm right there with you on it. The fights are always exciting. We just don't want to, want to see our elders getting beat up.

[B]

You Know, I'm not gonna call for

[C]

your retirement, but talk about a retirement on a White House lawn, knocking somebody out. Like, you can't get a better retirement than that.

[B]

If it was Peter Yan, I knocked Peter out of the White House. I might have to retire just to. I'd come back, but I'd have to retire just to be like, I retired. I might retire this fight just so I can come back, but I could always say, I retired on the White House lawn.

[C]

There you go.

[A]

Do you see? I know I lied. I said last question. But you see these Netflix fights, right? And you got Ronda Rousey coming back and the discussions around fighter pay and everything. Like, where are you at when it comes to the fighter pay and the new Paramount plus deal and what guys like yourself who are box office draws should be getting paid to fight in main events?

[B]

Yeah, that's a. It's always. The fighter pay is always such an interesting question. And it's like, I feel like I'm in a lucky position to where I'm not. I'm not speaking for the guys that are making 12 and 12, 10 and 10. But yeah, I'd be curious what, like, Mike Perry and Nate Diaz are making. Like, that would be. I would love to see Net what Netflix says, but as far as, like, the Paramount, like the big stars making more money, I haven't really. I haven't renegotiated my contract. Nothing's really changed for me. I'm on the same contract as I was on before, but I. I don't have very many fights left, so we'll see what. Where it goes. But I have a great relationship with the ufc. I want to keep a. Maintain a great relationship with the ufc, so. Yeah, we'll see.

[A]

Yeah. I mean, you. Like I said, your box office draw on your star, man. So you've been. You've been killing it, I guess, as we're about to bounce. Are you excited to see Ronda Rousey back in Octagon?

[B]

Yeah, he said, yeah, I think I'm excited for the spectacle. I'm gonna watch. I'll. I'll throw it on. I'm gonna watch. You know, Mike and Nate's the one I'm really excited about. That's a good one. Rhonda and Gina, it's like, just doesn't really get it over the hump for me, but I'm gonna watch it. So it's like, I guess I am, but we'll see.

[A]

Where's your training camp at?

[B]

I live. I live and train in Arizona. Full time. Don't. Nothing changes for me.

[A]

Love to come out and kick it with you, man, and. And watch you do your thing.

[B]

Pickleball.

[A]

Yes. Boom.

[B]

We got it, you guys. After the fight. I'm trying. I gotta limit my pickleball now. I'm getting close to the fight, but after the fight, would love to have you guys out, play some pickleball, show you the gym, show you the coffee shop, and have a, you know, show you the property. Be a lot of fun.

[A]

No, that'd be great. That'd be awesome.

[C]

Let's do it.

[A]

All right, well, that does it for us. We appreciate the one and only sugar, Sean o' Malley coming on the show and having a blast with us, answering our questions. Look forward to seeing you at the White House, man, and. And go out there, do your thing. You never know what could happen. It could be our retirement. It could be the bridge to a. To a championship run. At the end of the day, man, you're a baller. We appreciate you coming on the show.

[B]

Yep. Thank you, guys. Had a lot of fun. Have a good one.