The UFC Bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley has recently revealed that his earnings from social media activities far exceed his earnings from fighting in the UFC. He is one of the most popular fighters in the promotion, with over 4.2 million followers on Instagram. “Suga” won the bantamweight title last year after defeating Aljamain Sterling via TKO at UFC 292. He also defended his title once this year, in March, against Marlon Vera. O’Malley has attracted numerous endorsement deals because of his amazing fighting style and eccentric personality.
Malley about his earnings
Sean O'Malley: I paid more in taxes than I made last year in my fight and I made a lot of money fighting, but I made triple that from social media. pic.twitter.com/rPzIp4IePD
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) May 7, 2024
Recently, while speaking on Bradley Martin’s Raw Talk, Sean spoke candidly about his financial success beyond the UFC Octagon. He indicated a significant shift in the way fighters understand and leverage their online presence. “Suga” said that his social media earnings tripled his collective earnings from UFC fights in 2023. Martin asked O’Malley if fighters are realizing they have to use social media to increase their earnings and also referenced Sean Strickland.
The UFC Star highlighted the disparity between his UFC payouts and his online earnings, noting that he paid more in taxes than he earned from fighting alone. The champion also revealed that his goal was to become a multi-millionaire and explained how he uses social media platforms to make his money.
“From Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter, like all these different social media, I made triple the amount of money I made fighting. I made a lot of money fighting. So it’s like, it just depends on what these guys’ goals are.”
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He makes a great use of social media
O’Malley also praised his future opponent, Merab Dvalishvili, for his social media content, which helps him attract fans. In addition to his financial disclosures, O’Malley has been actively engaging with fellow fighters and fans on social media, using his platform to call out opponents and generate excitement for potential future bouts. His playful banter and strategic use of social media have helped increase his popularity both inside and outside the Octagon. He also has a YouTube channel that attracts millions of views and also helps him by giving him several sponsorship deals.
