Snoop Dogg Dragged In as Sean O’Malley Confirms Truth Behind ‘Dana White Privilege’

“I want him to pay for everything he said—all the trash talk, everything. All his Dana White privilege,” said Aljamain Sterling ahead of his clash with Sean O’Malley at UFC 292. The accusation was bold: Sterling claimed that O’Malley and Dana White conspired to strip him of his bantamweight belt. The MMA world lit up. Suddenly, White’s golden boy was the target of criticisms online, with fans accusing him of riding the UFC CEO’s coattails. But what’s the truth? Has O’Malley always been blessed? Let’s break it down.

Sean O’Malley is set to face Merab Dvalishvili once again, but this time, the stakes are different. He has the opportunity to avenge the loss he suffered back at UFC 306. During the UFC 316 pre-fight press conference, when a reporter asked the former bantamweight champion about the “Dana White privilege,” O’Malley simply bumped fists with Dana White and said, “Thanks, Dana.” It was a sarcastic jibe meant to dismiss the question by the reporter, who really put the former bantamweight champion and the UFC CEO on the spot.

While having a conversation with Israel Adesanya, Sean O’Malley spoke about what actually made him a star. He acknowledged the UFC’s role, but also added that it wasn’t just the promotion doing its thing. “Well, two things. I feel like I personally did a good job navigating that, but I do think the UFC is also the f—–g best in the world. They—hey, they wanted to build a star, they built a f—–g star. UFC is good at what they do, and they did a good job.”

He further added, “But as far as the comments and stuff early on, I feel like I had a super slow progression to becoming famous. Like, the Snoop Dogg thing kind of blew me up to, say, 15,000 followers on Instagram, and at the time I was like, “5K? Like, five? Like, what the f–k?” That was crazy.”  Sean O’Malley reflected on how criticism helped him rise above expectations since his early days. The former bantamweight champion pointed out that his first fights against Terrion Ware and Andre Soukhamthath were pivotal, as despite his slow progression, he was able to cement his status as a rising star within the promotion.

Sean O’Malley further asserted that ever since his Contender Series days, he was certain he would become a star. Although no one believed him at the time, he used their lack of acknowledgment of him as fuel for his growth, “That was the thing. I said that on the Contender Series and I kept saying it, interview after interview after interview. And I would get so much hate from that alone—”You’ll never be Conor,” “You blah blah blah.” So I… and it would—it just motivated me. Like, I want to prove these f—- wrong. They fueled me.”

September 14, 2024, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA: SEAN OÃââ MALLEY fights in the 5-round Bantamweight Title Main Event at UFC 306 Riyadh Season Noche UFC at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Las Vegas USA – ZUMAs346 20240914_zsp_s346_004 Copyright: xAlejandroxSalazarx

While Sean O’Malley may have received some support from UFC CEO Dana White in his early days, it still took him eight victories to earn a title shot. So, saying he reached this point solely because of the UFC CEO undermines his hard work. Well, O’Malley is giving his best to reclaim his belt, but Dvalishvili believes that the days of ‘Suga’ are over.

Merab Dvalishvili clears his thoughts on the battle with Sean O’Malley

In their initial fight at UFC 306, Merab Dvalishvili dominated Sean O’Malley for five rounds to win the bout by unanimous decision. ‘The Machine’ proved that O’Malley’s striking had little effect on him, especially when he was in control of the fight. Approximately a year later, the two are once again face-to-face, this time with the bantamweight title on the line.

Back in April, Sean O’Malley announced that he had distanced himself from social media and all forms of distractions to fully focus on his fight against the champion. As he prepares for the rematch, Merab Dvalishvili has shared his thoughts on the upcoming bout, “I wish Sean all the best. He is a good fighter and I’m not gonna say like that, but I can tell you what I can control, what I’m going to do.”

He further added, “I’m gonna win this fight and keep the belt and Sean can fight whichever weight class he wants and how many fights he wants. He is a big name and he has so many superfights to fight and he has already been champion and now it’s my time and I’m not gonna give my belt to nobody.”

Sean O’Malley is in a do-or-die situation—if he fails to secure the title this time, it might be a while before he gets another shot. Regardless, what are your thoughts on the fight? Do you believe O’Malley has received some favor from the UFC CEO? Share your opinion in the comments below.

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