The Foolproof Move for Sean O’Malley To Save UFC Career vs. Song Yadong

At one point not too long ago, it felt like Sean O’Malley was the face of the UFC.

The bantamweight champion of the world had a massive following on social media, close relationships with many UFC-adjacent celebrities, and tantalizing knockout power in the Octagon that made each fight a must-watch.

To set the record straight, this is a UFC take from a casual. But with that said, some valuable advice can be offered to O’Malley ahead of his matchup against Song Yadong at UFC 324, the first event being streamed on Paramount+.

O’Malley’s back-to-back losses to Merab Dvalishvili were demoralizing. The rainbow-haired 31-year-old took some time between fights, making his long-awaited return to a UFC that feels desperate for superstars.

Speaking of superstars, O’Malley needs to drop the walkout song.

During his dominant run in the UFC, O’Malley would walk out to Lupe Fiasco’s “Superstar,” a song that dives into not being afraid of big moments if you’re truly a superstar.

But here’s the thing — that song has let O’Malley down one too many times.

And there’s a simple switch to what song he can play that would have the fans inside T-Mobile Arena jumping to support him.

O’Malley needs to walk out to Lupe Fiasco’s “The Show Goes On.”

It’s much more fitting for where O’Malley is at in his career. Same artist that he’s used throughout his UFC stardom, but a song that explains that despite hardships, you must push forward.

The self-proclaimed “Suga Show” has taken a backseat in UFC discourse over the last several months because of his losses to Dvalishvili. His last victory came at UFC 299 in March 2024 against Marlon Vera.

The new song could serve as a reminder that while the Suga Show seemingly took a break, it still rolls on.

Over the last few months, there’s been plenty of speculation about Conor McGregor making a return to the UFC for the White House event in June. That’s a risky, controversial call for UFC president Dana White and President Donald Trump to make, as McGregor has been notoriously flaky over the last half-decade. Earlier this week, White stomped out the speculation that McGregor would be fighting Michael Chandler at the White House.

But it speaks to how desperate the UFC feels for stardom right now.

The organization faced backlash for highlighting McGregor on billboards despite not fighting since 2021. His 2024 bout against Chandler was canceled, and the next whisper of McGregor competing has centered around this White House card.

If O’Malley can use a new song to spark his UFC stardom, White and Trump could give him six months to recover and insert him back into the mix for the White House event.

Certainly, it all comes down to selecting the proper Lupe Fiasco track.