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At one point not too long ago, it felt like Sean O\u2019Malley was the face of the UFC.<\/p>\n
The bantamweight champion of the world had a massive following on social media, close relationships with many UFC-adjacent celebrities, and tantalizing knockout power in the Octagon that made each fight a must-watch.<\/p>\n
To set the record straight, this is a UFC take from a casual. But with that said, some valuable advice can be offered to O\u2019Malley ahead of his matchup against Song Yadong at UFC 324, the first event being streamed on Paramount+.<\/p>\n
O\u2019Malley\u2019s back-to-back losses to Merab Dvalishvili<\/a> were demoralizing. The rainbow-haired 31-year-old took some time between fights, making his long-awaited return to a UFC that feels desperate for superstars.<\/p>\n Speaking of superstars, O\u2019Malley needs to drop the walkout song.<\/p>\n During his dominant run in the UFC, O\u2019Malley would walk out to Lupe Fiasco\u2019s \u201cSuperstar,\u201d<\/i> a song that dives into not being afraid of big moments if you\u2019re truly a superstar.<\/p>\n But here\u2019s the thing \u2014 that song has let O\u2019Malley down one too many times.<\/p>\n And there\u2019s a simple switch to what song he can play that would have the fans inside T-Mobile Arena jumping to support him.<\/p>\n O\u2019Malley needs to walk out to Lupe Fiasco\u2019s \u201cThe Show Goes On.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n It\u2019s much more fitting for where O\u2019Malley is at in his career. Same artist that he\u2019s used throughout his UFC stardom, but a song that explains that despite hardships, you must push forward.<\/p>\n The self-proclaimed \u201cSuga Show\u201d has taken a backseat in UFC discourse over the last several months because of his losses to Dvalishvili. His last victory came at UFC 299 in March 2024 against Marlon Vera.<\/p>\n The new song could serve as a reminder that while the Suga Show seemingly took a break, it still rolls on.<\/p>\n Over the last few months, there\u2019s been plenty of speculation about Conor McGregor making a return to the UFC for the White House event in June. That\u2019s a risky, controversial call for UFC president Dana White<\/a> and President Donald Trump to make, as McGregor has been notoriously flaky over the last half-decade. Earlier this week, White stomped out the speculation<\/a> that McGregor would be fighting Michael Chandler at the White House.<\/p>\n But it speaks to how desperate the UFC feels for stardom right now.<\/p>\n The organization faced backlash for highlighting McGregor on billboards despite not fighting since 2021. His 2024 bout against Chandler was canceled, and the next whisper of McGregor competing has centered around this White House card.<\/p>\n If O\u2019Malley can use a new song to spark his UFC stardom<\/a>, White and Trump could give him six months to recover and insert him back into the mix for the White House event.<\/p>\n Certainly, it all comes down to selecting the proper Lupe Fiasco track.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n