Dana White Talks O'Malley, Sterling And What's Next At Bantamweight

A reporter then asked how much O’Malley’s star power, noting that “The Suga Show” was already a huge star in the UFC long before his title fight. White replied with some numbers for context.

“It crushed the record for the bantamweight championship….we broke the all-time gate record here. Bruce Springsteen just played here and did $5 million. We did over $7 million. The Boston Garden, the craziest f*****g sports town on earth, other than their team that plays here, we’re the biggest thing that’s ever been here. So what does that tell you about O’Malley?” This is also the biggest bantamweight championship fight ever on pay-per-view globally. It broke the record – biggest bantamweight championship fight. Ever. “O’Malley isn’t gonna be a star. He is a star.”

The buzz around the UFC’s newest champion seemed foremost on the minds of the 70 assembled reporters as they peppered the UFC president with questions about the “Suga Show.”

“Not since the rise of Conor McGregor and Ronda (Rousey). When Ronda really started to take off, Ronda had that buzz, too. Chuck Liddell….Everywhere I went yesterday and today [in Boston]: hair, shirts, the whole deal…everybody was wearing O’Malley stuff. You saw the reaction tonight when he won, the place just erupted.”

MORE UFC 292: Sean O'Malley Post-Fight Interview | Zhang Weili Post-Fight Interview | Aljamain Sterling Post-Fight Press Conference

An alumni of the first season of Dana White’s Contender Series, White pointed to O’Malley’s rise as a testament to the quality of fighters the show--which just entered it’s seventh season—continues to produce.

“Now we have two champions from the Contender Series and multiple up and coming stars coming off that show.…Before these guys ever set foot in the UFC, millions of people have seen them fight on the Contender Series. It’s awesome.”

On The TUF Finale Bout Between Brad Katona and Cody Gibson Winning Fight Of The Night:

“It’s pretty awesome when you have a card stacked with talent like tonight and The Ultimate Fighter Finale wins fight of the night. That’s pretty impressive.

“Everyone’s been blowing me up saying give them both a contract,” he smiled, noting that despite coming out on the wrong end of the scorecards, Cody Gibson will be “sticking around.”

On The Expected Timeline Of The Fight Between Conor McGregor And Michael Chandler: 

“I’m hoping we can do it early next year.”

On What's Next For Aljamain Sterling:

“Ask him, but if you’re asking me right now, I’ll bet he’s going to say ‘I’m going to move up [to featherweight].”

On What's Next For Cory Sandhagen:

“He’s a stud. He’s been apologizing to me non-stop about his performance [in Nashville August. 5]. He needed elbow surgery, he hurt himself. I said ‘Kid, every fight can’t be the greatest fight you’ve ever seen. Your performance before that was amazing. Stop beating yourself up, man. Every fight can’t the greatest fight you’ve ever fought. Heal up. We’ll get you back in there.”

On The Ascent Of Ian Machado Garry:

"I do want Ian to go to Dublin, just not next. Madison Square Garden he’s got to go first. There’s a blueprint for this s***, and we got it.”