“Comment what I’m getting… wrong answers only.” Sean O’Malley had posted on Instagram a while ago, alongside a video of himself getting what appeared to be a tattoo on his forehead. While the former UFC bantamweight champion had no shortage of ink all over his body, this felt a little outlandish. But later, ‘Suga’ revealed what it was. 

On January 1, O’Malley revealed the tattoo on X, which showed “Doing well” written across his forehead. “When the sponsorship is worth 8 figures @wearedoingwell,” O’Malley wrote in the caption. Although some believed the image was AI-generated and merely a marketing stunt, it turned out to be a genuine act. Now, the 31-year-old has shed more light on it. 

Sean O’Malley helps fans take a sigh of relief

While sharing the full video of him getting the ink, the former bantamweight champion revealed the entire process. “As you know, UFC doesn’t let us bring our own sponsors into the Octagon,” O’Malley explained. “What better place to put a brand deal than on your forehead?” While getting inked, he even joked about the possibility of regret.

“I regret it instantly,” he laughed at one point. “What am I doing?” That’s when he revealed the twist. “Alright, fellas, I’m actually not getting a giant billboard face tattoo,” O’Malley said in his video, letting fans take a sigh of relief. “I should… but I’m not.” Instead, it was all part of an elaborate marketing stunt, which he felt was widely successful. 

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“Wow, did the marketing campaign work,” he said. “Millions of impressions, tons of emails on the sign-up list… this is gonna be massive.” While he didn’t get the forehead tattoo, he did get two small “Doing well” tattoos. Clearly, ‘Suga’ has become a marketing genius, as headline fights are starting to dry up for the former bantamweight champion. 

He is currently scheduled to face Song Yadong on the undercard of Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett’s interim lightweight title fight at UFC 324 on January 24 in T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas. Regardless, coming back to O’Malley’s tattoo, does it bother you that getting a forehead tattoo was believable for O’Malley? 

How could it? This is not the first time O’Malley has tattooed his face.

‘Suga’ Sean got a forehead tattoo after the title victory

Back in 2023, Sean O’Malley made sure his UFC bantamweight title win is permanently etched into his legacy—and his face. Fresh off his knockout victory over Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292, O’Malley revealed a new forehead tattoo that simply reads “CHAMP.” The outspoken star had hinted at the idea immediately after winning the belt and wasted little time following through.

“I might get ‘champ’ on my face somewhere,” O’Malley said during his post-fight press conference, before debuting the tattoo just days later. Known for his colorful personality and extensive body art, the then 28-year-old embraced the bold move as another expression of his confidence. 

Clearly, if anyone was going to get a face tattoo, it would be Sean O’Malley. Thankfully, though, this one turned out to be a promotional stunt rather than a permanent decision. Did you think it was real when you first saw it? And if it had been permanent, what would your reaction have been?