Sean O’Malley has marked his name as one of the biggest stars on the UFC’s roster right now. Following his meteoric rise in the bantamweight division, O’Malley captured the championship at UFC 292. With that said, there is a lot to O’Malley that fans do not know about.
For the most part, O’Malley has drawn the attention of fans through his flair and extravagance. Whilst the 5 knockout wins have helped, it is mostly O’Malley’s appearance that has brought him to light. Not only does the 28-year-old like to wear flashy clothes, but he has also gained new fans through his colorful hairdos.
Combining his flashiness with some exquisite and innovative striking skills, Sean makes sure that he puts on a show every time he steps into the Octagon. However, O’Malley’s numerous tattoos also help in making him stand out. As such, let’s check out Sean O’Malley’s tattoos and what they mean.
The numerous tattoos of Sean O’Malley
Since his initial appearance on the Contender Series in 2017, O’Malley looked to be all tatted up. Over the years, the Arizona native has continued to add to his collection even further. Let’s check them out.
Starting off with the fighter’s face, Sean has a ‘SUGA'(his nickname) tattoo just above his right eyebrow. Similarly, he also has a ‘Love’ tattoo under his right eye. Further, the left side of his forehead has the word ‘breathe’ scribbled in reverse, as it serves as a reminder when he looks into the mirror to relax. To finish things off, he also has a few stars inscribed under his left eye.
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Going lower, O’Malley has a tattoo of his hooping celebration from the Kris Moutinho fight on the left side of his neck. As for the right side, O’Malley has the tattoo of a rook, a chess, piece along with a ’69’ tattoo done by Tekashi69 himself. Coming now to his chest we have a large owl tattoo in the center of his chest which uses similar colors to the gorilla tattoo on Conor McGregor’s chest. According to sources, the owl symbolizes wisdom and transition.
Following that, we have an ‘Akiata’ and a dragon tattoo near O’Malley’s left ribcage. On the opposing side, we have the inscription, “Float like a Butterfly Sting Like a Bee,” which is a direct homage to the great Muhammad Ali. As for O’Malley’s back, we have a crest that represents the O’Malley family and another family name tattoo on the right side of his back.
On O’Malley’s upper left arm and shoulder, we have a large tattoo of dark green vines containing red and blueberries. Notably, his bicep tattoos together read, “Only God Can Judge Me”, an homage to the legendary 2Pac.
Other than that, his left arm also has random designs that include a hat, glasses, a horseshoe, and a sun. Moreover, O’Malley’s outer right forearm has a beautiful rose whilst the inside has ‘family’ inscribed on it. Lastly, O’Malley’s right hand has the word ‘free’ inscribed on it.
Sean O’Malley added a special face tattoo after becoming UFC Bantamweight Champion
O’Malley faced Aljamain Sterling for the UFC Bantamweight Championship at UFC 292 in August 2023. ‘Suga’ got the better of the Funk Master by delivering a TKO finish early in the second round. He was crowned as the champion in Boston, Massachusetts.
After his title win, O’Malley revealed he would get a champion’s tattoo. Soon enough, O’Malley revealed a “CHAMP MMXXIII” tattoo on his forehead. MMXXIII [2023] refers to the year he was crowned the UFC champion for the first time. In March 2024, he defended his title against Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera and earned a comfortable unanimous decision victory.
So which one of Sean O’Malley’s tattoos is your favorite? Let us know in the comments down below.