WATCH | UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley runs routes at Arizona Cardinals training camp

UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley is living his best life at Arizona Cardinals training camp.

‘Sugar’ is set to return to the cage in just a few short weeks at Noche UFC, at the Las Vegas Sphere. Back for the first time since a unanimous decision victory over Marlon Vera in March, Sean O’Malley will face Merab Dvalishvili. For his part, ‘The Machine’ hasn’t competed since a decision win over Henry Cejudo in February.

To promote his UFC return, Sean O’Malley seemingly headed to Arizona Cardinals training camp. ‘Sugar’ himself is a big NFL fan and lives in Phoenix. The occasion was a big one for O’Malley, who showed up to training camp wearing a jersey and quickly linked up with Kyler Murray. The two shook hands, posed for photos, and then headed to the field.

There, the UFC bantamweight champion was actually able to catch passes from Murray. While Sean O’Malley is a great fighter, he also gets off the line of scrimmage pretty quick as well. The Arizona native also spoke with the Cardinals staff about the experience as well.

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Adding to the trophy case 🏆@K1 x @SugaSeanMMA pic.twitter.com/c8daI1IQLU

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) August 29, 2024

OKAYYY @SugaSeanMMA 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/Hb90Lck7vB

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) August 28, 2024

UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley catches passes at Cardinals training camp

“It always trips me out when people are huge fans, especially when they’re 6-foot-4 250 pounds, and they’re pumped to meet the Suga show,” Sean O’Malley stated. “But it’s really cool. Overall, it was just an incredible day. These drills are probably the closest I’ll get to being in the NFL, but I’ll take it.” (h/t Arizona Cardinals)

He continued, “The Cardinals are my team now. I live 20 minutes from the stadium. I’ve been here for ten years, so this feels like home and I’m excited to get back into it and have a team to root for.”

For what it’s worth, the Noche UFC card itself is set to be one of the biggest of the year. While Sean O’Malley will put his bantamweight gold on the line in the headliner, there’s another title fight in the co-main event. There, flyweight champion Alexa Grasso will look to defeat her longtime rival Valentina Shevchenko in their trilogy bout.

What do you make of this UFC news? Are you excited for Sean O’Malley’s return to the cage next month?