Following the recent back-and-forth between Paddy Pimblett and Ariel Helwani, UFC bantamweight contender Sean O’Malley gave his honest opinion on the matter during a recent episode of his ‘Bromalley’ YouTube show.
‘Sugar’ currently finds himself in a difficult situation in the 135 division as the fighters at the top end of the rankings all have viable claims at a shot at gold next.
Despite arguably being the one with the most right to a title shot, the flashy striker has been passed up as the UFC looks towards Henry Cejudo to be next in line.
While discussing the controversy surrounding Paddy Pimblett and Ariel Helwani’s recent clash of words, Sean O’Malley sided with the journalist. He claims he’s one of the most passionate people about the sport he’s ever met:
“I literally seen a clip where Paddy was talking to Dana, saying it pi**es him off that journalists—specifically Ariel—go out there and try to make money off our names, which drives me fu**ing crazy. Ariel is passionate about fighting, more passionate than anyone I’ve ever met. Loves the sport. And he found a way to make money doing what he loves, how can you hate on that? I found a way to make money doing what I love, fighting. People find their passion [and] they find ways to make money about it… I can’t even wrap my head around where that’s coming from.”
Both Sean O’Malley and Paddy Pimblett have grown a relationship with one another over a period of time. This makes it even more eye-opening that the bantamweight chose to side with Ariel Helwani.
Check out what the rising star had to say about the recent controversies in MMA in the video below:
What sparked the Paddy Pimblett and Ariel Helwani feud?
While welcoming his special guest Dana White onto his ‘Chattin Pony’ podcast, Paddy Pimblett fired shots at Ariel Helwani for attempting to profit through the many fighters in the MMA world.
The MMA Hour host, of course, responded and gave a respectable amount of time to the topic. He shared his side of the story which seemingly made him out to be the victim of this feud.
Essentially, Pimblett’s manager wanted Helwani to pay his client for an interview, which didn’t go down well with the Canadian. The 40-year-old let his thoughts known and a misunderstanding led to a “cheeky c*nt” message from the Brit, which eventually ignited the beef we have today.