Retirement hasn’t really sunk in for Dustin Poirier, who, after almost three months of hanging up his gloves, said, “A part of me has died.” All he knew for the better part of the last couple of decades was fighting, and even though he has transitioned into an analyst full-time, ‘The Diamond’ still finds himself missing out on what he does best. But on the other side of the spectrum, Sean O’Malley has weighed in on retirement, and he remains unfazed about it.

‘Suga’ Sean is just 31 years old, and while some people believe he’s in his prime, others say he’s yet to reach there. Regardless, retirement can happen at any time, especially in combat sports. O’Malley believes that everything is in order for him to continue his life without fighting.

Sean O’Malley will happily retire, unlike Dustin Poirier

Sean O’Malley, on his YouTube channel, addressed a fan’s message to him about Dustin Poirier and his struggles with retirement. At first, he said, “I’m terrified of retirement.” But he was joking. The former bantamweight champion revealed that he’s been busy building a life outside of the Octagon, investing in business endeavors. Also, ‘Suga’ has purchased a gym of his own, training future contenders who are aiming to make it to the UFC.

“I think I’ll be fine. I got the gym, we got the boys, we got up-and-coming guys… [I’m] really just building a brand, building a business,” Sean O’Malley added. The UFC star is also planning to extend his family in the coming years, further stating, “Hopefully, I have a couple more kids in the next five, ten years. Have a goddamn squad.” 

Retirement is a topic that Sean O’Malley discussed not too long ago. After his second defeat to Merab Dvalishvili, he revealed his next plans, but has dismissed retirement anytime soon. Here’s what he had to say.

O’Malley plans to fight once more in 2025

Sean O’Malley claims that “there’s no plans as of now to stop fighting,” but he understands how life can be unfair at times. “But just putting life into perspective, you never know what’s going to happen. Every time I get on the mats and I’m training, I’m grateful for that session,” he further stated during an interview with MMA Junkie. He’s only focused on getting his title back, and before Christmas seems like a good time for him to get back inside the Octagon.

“I’d like to fight again (in) November, December,” O’Malley said back in August. “Get one more in by the end of the year. I’m going to go talk with the UFC in two weeks,” the former bantamweight champion added. “I’m going to sit down with Hunter [Campbell], chat with him, and see where their head’s at and go from there.” There are rumors that he could fight Song Yadong next, so we’ll have to wait and see how things pan out for Sean O’Malley.

Song, and Cory Sandhagen, who lost to Dvalishvili last month, remain O’Malley’s next best options inside the top five. A win over either of them could catapult him right back into title contention.

Sean O’Malley, should he win his next fight, may not get a third fight against Merab Dvalishvili and instead face Petr Yan for a second time. The champion defends his belt against ‘No Mercy’ at UFC 323, so things will get even more interesting if the title changes hands in December. What do you think? Let us know in the comments section down below.