Who Is Sean O’Malley’s Father Dan O’Malley? Everything You Need to Know About UFC Bantamweight Star’s Father

Before Sean O’Malley became the face of the UFC’s bantamweight division, his father Dan stood out as a diehard MMA fan. He supported Sean through every step, even before the rainbow-colored hair and spinning back kicks became iconic. The man stayed out of the spotlight while his son made headlines.

He was reserved and fiercely supportive. He stood in stark contrast to his son’s high-flying UFC life. Scratch the surface. You’ll find that Dan played a key role in shaping the legend in the making. ‘Suga’ once ran upstairs, horrified at the sight of two men trading blows inside the Octagon. Now, you’re curious. Let’s explore their story!

What does Sean O’Malley’s father do? Early life and background

O’Malley’s father is a retired Narcotics Officer. Being a law enforcement professional, Dan O’Malley specialized in investigating and combating illegal drug-related activities. He always backed his son to pursue what he aspired to in real-time, even though fighting wasn’t the first thing that ‘Suga’ fell for.

The support he received from his father urged O’Malley to wish for his father to drive him everywhere. Despite being a millionaire combat sports athlete, ‘Suga’ couldn’t resist the urge to be pampered by his father. In a confession, the champ said, “Trying my dad to move down here like a full-time job. Drive me anywhere I want.”

Rich or not, ‘Suga’ still wanted his old man in the driver’s seat, literally. And their relationship is something special.

Dan O’Malley’s relationship with his son

The entire MMA globe knows Sean O’Malley for his love for the sport. With his precise striking prowess, he surely has developed an immense liking from the fans and pundits alike. However, the scenes were somewhat different when O’Malley was a kid. While O’Malley’s MMA journey was featured in the Anatomy of a Fighter documentary series, O’Malley’s father had something shocking to reveal as he shed light on a wicked fact.

Initially, he hailed his son, saying, “I think Sean knew he was a special athlete and just knew that he’s going to do whatever he wants to do. No questions asked. Yeah, I don’t know where he developed that at.” 

However, he also revealed that O’Malley didn’t like the sport back when he was a child, as he shed light on an interesting anecdote. 

Reflecting back on an incident from ‘Suga’s childhood, he revealed that his wife would not let him watch MMA fights with his children. So, the boys, along with their father, had to sneak downstairs and watch the CDs containing some of the most exciting fights in the MMA world back then. He said, “Because we had a hide downstairs, her mom said you’re not going to show your kids this stuff. So we were down there watching and having a good time.”

But things turned upside down when a 12-year-old ‘Suga’ caught his father and his siblings in the act. O’Malley Sr. continued, “Sean was probably 12 sneaks down their sees this. He’s like how can you guys watch this? Man, this looks disgusting. He runs upstairs, dimes me out, tells his mom, dad’s down there watching UFC. Mom comes down and makes us shut it off. Which is ironic, because Sean was not a fighter.”

Despite his interests during his childhood, O’Malley came up strong and greatly impressed the fighting community with his skills. But what about his mother? Let’s get to know her as well.

All we know about Sean O’Malley’s mother

Unlike his father, not much is known about the bantamweight phenom’s mother. But there was an instance involving O’Malley’s mother that garnered quite a bit of attention from the fighting community. And if you have been following the 29-year-old mixed martial artist, you’d know about the extravagant gifts he got for his wife and mother on the occasion of Mother’s Day.

Taking to his YouTube channel, the UFC megastar said, “These are the two most important women in my life. I literally wouldn’t be here without my Mom, technically. And I can confidently say I probably wouldn’t be in the position I am without Danya [my girlfriend].” And then he proceeded to give his ‘princesses’ a whopping sum of $50,000 in cash, each for his mother and wife.

Needless to say, the stacks of cash brought a pretty wide smile on the ladies’ faces. The champ’s mother was indeed a bit over the moon as she claimed that she could have her house back now that she had enough money to do so.

To wrap things up, Dan O’Malley might not throw punches, but he’s been in Sean’s corner long before the lights, fame, or bantamweight gold. And together with his wife, they form the cornerstones of the ‘Suga Show.’