Before Sean O’Malley became a neon-haired knockout artist and one of the UFC’s most recognizable stars, there was a quieter story unfolding behind the scenes. Long before pay-per-view main events and UFC 324 hype, the foundation of the ‘Suga Show’ was being built at home, shaped by discipline, support, and a household that didn’t always see fighting the way fans do now.

As O’Malley prepares for another high-stakes chapter in his career against Song Yadong, curiosity around his roots keeps growing. Who raised the man who once thought MMA was “disgusting”? How did a retired narcotics officer and a private, grounded mother help guide a future champion who now thrives in chaos?

All about Sean O’Malley’s father’s early life and background

O’Malley’s father is a retired Narcotics Officer. Being a law enforcement professional, Dan O’Malley specialized in investigating and combating illegal drug-related activities. He always backed his son to pursue what he aspired to in real-time, even though fighting wasn’t the first thing that ‘Suga’ fell for.

The support he received from his father urged O’Malley to wish for his father to drive him everywhere. Despite being a millionaire combat sports athlete, ‘Suga’ couldn’t resist the urge to be pampered by his father. In a confession, the former champ said, “Trying to get my dad to move down here like a full-time job. Drive me anywhere I want.”

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Rich or not, ‘Suga’ still wanted his old man in the driver’s seat, literally. And their relationship is something special.

Dan O’Malley’s relationship with his son

The entire MMA globe knows Sean O’Malley for his love for the sport. However, the scenes were somewhat different when O’Malley was a kid. 

While O’Malley’s MMA journey was featured in the Anatomy of a Fighter documentary series, his father had something shocking to reveal as he shed light on a wicked fact.

Initially, he hailed his son, saying, “I think Sean knew he was a special athlete and just knew that he’s going to do whatever he wants to do. No questions asked. Yeah, I don’t know where he developed that at.” 

However, he also revealed that O’Malley didn’t like the sport back when he was a child, as he shed light on an interesting anecdote. 

Reflecting back on an incident from ‘Suga’s childhood, he revealed that his wife would not let him watch MMA fights with his children.

So, the boys, along with their father, had to sneak downstairs and watch the CDs containing some of the most exciting fights in the MMA world back then. He said, “Because we had to hide downstairs, their mom said you’re not going to show your kids this stuff. So we were down there watching and having a good time.”

But things turned upside down when a 12-year-old ‘Suga’ caught his father and his siblings in the act. 

O’Malley Sr. continued, “Sean was probably 12, sneaks down there, sees this. He’s like how can you guys watch this? Man, this looks disgusting. He runs upstairs, dimes me out, tells his mom, ‘Dad’s down there watching UFC.’ Mom comes down and makes us shut it off.” 

Despite his interests during his childhood, O’Malley came up strong and greatly impressed the fighting community with his skills. But what about his mother? Let’s get to know her as well.

All we know about Sean O’Malley’s mother

Unlike his father, not much is known about the bantamweight phenom’s mother except her name, Lynn O’Malley. But there was an instance involving O’Malley’s mother that garnered quite a bit of attention from the fighting community. And if you have been following his journey, you’d know about the extravagant gifts he got for his wife and mother on the occasion of Mother’s Day.

Taking to his YouTube channel, the UFC megastar said, “These are the two most important women in my life. I literally wouldn’t be here without my Mom, technically. And I can confidently say I probably wouldn’t be in the position I am without Danya [my girlfriend].” And then he proceeded to give his ‘princesses’ a whopping sum of $50,000 in cash, each for his mother and wife.

Needless to say, the stacks of cash brought a pretty wide smile on the ladies’ faces. The former champ’s mother was indeed a bit over the moon as she claimed that she could have her house back now that she had enough money to do so.

As UFC 324 approaches and the stakes rise again, it’s worth remembering this: the ‘Suga Show’ wasn’t built overnight. It was shaped quietly, at home, by a father who once had to hide fight tapes and a mother who kept her son grounded while he learned how to fly.