Chael Sonnen argues that Sean O’Malley is the biggest star in MMA: “He’s the guy around here”

Chael Sonnen believes current UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley is the biggest star in MMA.

The UFC’s bantamweight division is incredible at the moment. In a division full of stars such as Petr Yan, Umar Nurmagomedov, Cory Sandhagen, Henry Cejudo, and more, it’s ‘Sugar’ at the top. Next month at the Las Vegas Sphere for Noche UFC, Sean O’Malley will face rising contender Merab Dvalishvili.

That headlining position didn’t come by accident. The Noche UFC card is expected to be arguably the biggest of the year for the company, and it features Sean O’Malley in the main event. Former middleweight title challenger Chael Sonnen believes that’s happening for a reason, as he stated on the ‘Good Guy, Bad Guy‘ Podcast.

Speaking with Daniel Cormier, ‘The Bad Guy’ called Sean O’Malley the biggest star in MMA. Chael Sonnen explained that with Conor McGregor on the sidelines, the bantamweight champion is the best that we’ve got. The longtime analyst added that he can’t wait to see O’Malley face off with Umar Nurmagomedov, partially for that reason.

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Chael Sonnen argues that UFC champion Sean O’Malley is the biggest star in MMA

“Congratulations to the division, by the way.” Chael Sonnen stated on the podcast, reacting to Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Cory Sandhagen. “I mean, this [division] used to be a snoozefest. You could go take a Nyquil, or you could go watch a 135-pounder fight, it just wasn’t there. Now they’re main-eventing on ABC.”

He continued, “Also, excuse me, Sean O’Malley is currently the sport’s biggest star, as Conor McGregor is not licensed. So O’Malley is the guy around here. I have to tell you, he says Nurmagomedov is next [after Dvalishvili].”

For what it’s worth, Sean O’Malley also believes he’s the biggest star in the sport besides Conor McGregor. Furthermore, ‘Sugar’ has gone as far as stating that he will be the biggest star in sports period, by the end of this year. In order to continue that climb, he will need to defeat Merab Dvalishvili next month at the Sphere.

What do you make of these comments from UFC analyst Chael Sonnen? Do you think Sean O’Malley is the biggest star in MMA?