Sean O’Malley Blasts Conor McGregor, Jon Jones, and Ronda Rousey for Growing Complaints Against UFC

Fighter pay is once again under the spotlight, as Ronda Rousey pushed the issue back to the forefront by criticizing the UFC ahead of her return to MMA, joining a list of other major stars who have spoken out about contracts, negotiations, and money.

Jon Jones questioned his pay during White House card negotiations; Conor McGregor hinted that his contract no longer made sense in light of the new broadcast agreement, and now the situation has caught Sean O’Malley’s attention as well, who believes it’s unusual to see so many of the sport’s biggest stars having issues with the same promotion that helped them become famous.

“It’s crazy you see all these top guys having issues with the UFC,” Sean O’Malley said. “Ronda, obviously, is not in the UFC anymore, but talking s— about it.

Conor, one of the biggest stars of all time, is having issues with the UFC. Jon Jones, you know, the GOAT, having issues with the UFC.”

Sean O’Malley wonders who Conor McGregor, Jon Jones, and Ronda Rousey would be without the UFC amid growing complaints from top stars

“It’s crazy to see all these top guys have an issue with the UFC. Who would Conor, Jones, and Ronda be without the UFC? If they feel like… pic.twitter.com/zxzy9vZkyP

— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) March 16, 2026

‘Suga’ explained that the situation seemed odd to him because all three built their careers under the UFC banner, and he believes the promotion played a significant role in their successes.

“It’s crazy,” Sean O’Malley continued. “It’s like, all of these careers would have… Who would Conor, Jones, and Ronda be without the UFC?

Could they have been successful in other ventures? Yes. Could they have made as much money? Probably not. So it’s weird.”

However, he didn’t completely ignore their accusations, and he said that he understood why fighters speak up when they believe negotiations are unfair.

“But I get where they’re coming from too if they feel like they’re being treated unfair,” he said. “Speak up; you know what I mean.”

The timing of his comments stands out because the debate has picked up again in the last few weeks. With so many big names speaking at once, Sean O’Malley’s reaction exemplifies how rare it is to have numerous UFC superstars publicly disagree with the sport’s economic side at the same time.

But it is also worth noting that this wasn’t the first time he has shared his two cents on the financial side of things, as Sean O’Malley recently shared his blunt reaction to Dana White spending big on the signing of Conor Benn.

Sean O’Malley left stunned by Zuffa Boxing’s pay compared to the UFC

While the latest fighter pay debate erupted following comments from Ronda Rousey, Jon Jones, and Conor McGregor, Sean O’Malley had already expressed his thoughts on the financial side of the sport when news broke about Dana White signing Conor Benn to Zuffa Boxing.

At the time, the reported figures took him completely by surprise, especially since the deal sounded far bigger than what most UFC fighters are used to seeing.

“For me, it’s so hard to believe,” he said on his YouTube channel. “I’ve been told—Tim Welch told me—’Did you see that?’ It doesn’t mean it’s true.

I don’t know; it could very well be true. I can’t imagine it being true Zuffa Boxing is like they’re paying out; I don’t even know who Conor Benn is.”

Well, that’s surely a reaction that many surely would’ve seen coming, as the boxer would be making around $15 million for a single fight under the new promotion.

“It’s crazy, bro,” he added. “If they really paid this guy $15 million, I don’t know. It’s crazy how you put in so much work in the UFC.

Build this name, create this character, be a star. I’m not making f—— $15 million to fight.”

Sean O’Malley speculated that the contract could be part of the rivalry between boxing promoters, but the figure itself stood out to him since seeing that kind of money outside the UFC made the wage difference difficult to ignore, even before the new complaints from other fighters started the conversation again.