Sean O`Malley is incorporating diverse sparring partners, including individuals from outside professional fighting, into his preparation for the upcoming rematch against Merab Dvalishvili.
In recent years, there`s been a growing trend of social media influencers and fans volunteering to participate in sparring sessions with elite professional MMA fighters. Following Sean Strickland`s widely reported session with a YouTuber, UFC champion “Suga” Sean O`Malley has now also engaged in this type of cross-discipline training.
This past weekend, O`Malley uploaded a video to his YouTube channel documenting a sparring session with professional poker player and fellow YouTuber, Frankie C. The video revealed that before the physical encounter, O`Malley and Frankie C competed in a heads-up poker game. Predictably, the outcome of the sparring session differed significantly from the card game, with O`Malley controlling the action effectively and even dropping Frankie C with strikes to the body.
Credit is due to Frankie C, who remained realistic about his capabilities in a fight, acknowledging O`Malley`s intimidating skills while stating he wasn`t concerned about sustaining permanent injury.
O`Malley himself explained that his intention was to give Frankie C a forceful experience without causing genuine harm. He was quoted saying, “I want him to feel like he got hit by a truck. I want to hurt him in the body, I want to kick his leg a couple times. A hard couple leg kicks. I’m going to try and get him really, really tired.”
This unique sparring session is part of O`Malley`s training camp as he prepares to defend his bantamweight title against Merab Dvalishvili in the main event of UFC 316, scheduled for June 7th at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
