Sean O’Malley Workout and Diet
Mixed Martial Artist
Sean O’Malley was born in Montana. He got into kickboxing in middle school, and had a few amateur fights in Montana. O’Malley dropped out of high school, and worked as a helper for a person with disabilities to fund his training. At 19, he packed up his belongings and drove to Arizona to further his MMA career. O’Malley earned an amateur kickboxing record of 4-0 and an amateur MMA record of 9-2. He went pro with MMA and was awarded a UFC contract in 2017. O’Malley was suspended from fighting from 2018-2020 due to failing drug tests. He won the UFC Bantamweight Championship in 2023. O’Malley is a brand ambassador for Timex. He co-hosts the podcast The Timbo Sugar Show with his coach Tim Welch. O’Malley is married and has 1 child. He has millions of followers on social media. He is 5 feet, 11 inches tall and fights at 135 lbs.
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Sean O’Malley’s Diet
Diet Summary
O’Malley likes to joke around but he takes his training very seriously, including diet. His food is clean and natural, and mostly home-cooked, including eggs from his own farm. When he’s gearing up for a weigh-in before a fight, he eats very lightly, just a couple of scoops of protein, some skinless chicken thighs, light cheese, and a few scoops of protein. He cuts back on water too to make weight. He gets regular blood work to be sure he is hitting his nutritional needs, and his supplements vary based on the results.
Estimated Macros
Medium Fat
Low-Medium Carb
High Protein
Diet Details
Clean Eating
O’Malley eats clean, natural foods and takes a pass on the junk. His diet is an essential part of his training regimen.
Whoosh Day
O’Malley eats very lightly the day before a weigh-in. He has a few plain chicken thighs, a single ounce of light cheese, 3 spoons of plain Greek yogurt, two scoops of protein powder and 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and that’s it.
Control the Caffeine
O’Malley has only 1 cup of coffee each day, first thing in the morning, because he doesn’t want the caffeine to interfere with his sleep schedule.
Water Manipulation
To help O’Malley cut weight, he drinks 600 ml of water early in the day, but stops drinking long before bedtime to trick the body into flushing out excess fluid.
Serious About Supps
After being suspended from the UFC for consuming a banned substance, O’Malley made sure to verify the origin of all his supplements.
What to Eat
- Whole, natural, organic foods
- Animal protein
- Farm fresh eggs
- Fresh veg
- Unprocessed carbs
- Healthy fats
- Avocados
- Skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- Full-fat Greek yogurt
- Coconut oil
- Protein
- 3rd party-verified supplements only
- Water
What to Avoid
- Sketchy supplements
- Caffeine late in the day
- Eating late in the day
- Junk food
- Empty-calorie foods
- Artificial additives
- Chemicals
O’Malley on hydration
‘I get hydrated, usually even before I hit my machine[s].’
O’Malley on hydration, take II
‘I drink lots of water before having my delicious coffee.’
O’Malley on supplements
‘You don’t want to be frickin’ around, taking stuff you don’t know, so I stick to 3rd party-tested supplements.’
Sean O’Malley’s Workout Routine
Workout Routine
Coaching Matters
O’Malley works with coach Tim Welch, who is also from Montana and a former fighter.
Flexibility Is Key
To keep his body flexible and help prevent injury, O’Malley does yoga and dynamic stretching.
Recovery Matters
To aid with recovery, O’Malley uses many things including red light, massage, ice baths and a PEMF (pulsed electromagnetic fields) mat. He uses the PEMP mat for at least 20 minutes and up to an hour a day.
Daily Dose
O’Malley is extremely disciplined about training. He works out most days.
Laying the Ground Work
O’Malley does Brazilian jiu-jitsu to practice things like takedowns, submissions, and ground-and-pound.
Super Fit
O’Malley does a wide range of exercises. He does standard gym work, and sprints up mountainsides. He slams the med ball and carries rocks. He does a little bit of everything to be prepared for any situation.
Exercise Style
A Sean O’Malley Routine
Cardio:
- Assault bike intervals
- Running
- Plyo work
Strength & conditioning:
- Compound lifts
- Deadlifts
- Squats
- Overhead press
- Power cleans
Crossfit-type exercises:
- Battle ropes
- Med ball slams
- Sled pulls/pushes
- Shadow boxing
- Weights
Agility work:
- Ladder drills
- Jump rope
- Cone drills
MMA training:
- Strike drills
- Sparring
- Heavy bag
- Mitts
- Brazilian jiu jitsu
Flexibility/Mobility:
- Yoga
- Dynamic stretching
Infrared light:
- Ice bath
- Massage
O’Malley on his commitment to fitness
‘I’m doing…what needs to be done to continue to win fights.’
O’Malley on his fitness level for UFC 292
‘I’m 100% in the best shape I’ve ever been.’
O’Malley on his mindset pre-event
‘In my mind, I’m always the main event.’
O’Malley on MMA vs boxing
‘MMA is definitely harder than boxing.’
O’Malley after losing his UFC title
‘Back to work.’
Sean O’Malley’s Supplements
Protein
O’Malley uses protein to feed his muscles. He’ll have it twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening when prepping for a fight.
Coconut Oil
O’Malley also takes coconut oil which is high in medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) which burn fat, curb hunger, and provide quality energy.
Hydration
O’Malley adds a hydration supplement to his morning water to boost his electrolytes and other vitamins and minerals for energy, recovery, and overall health. After his drug test failure, he takes care to only use 3rd party-tested supplements.
Sean O’Malley’s Lifestyle
Best Sleeper in the UFC
O’Malley may come across as a goofball, but he is extremely disciplined when it comes to training. He goes to bed no later than 10 pm and wakes around 7:30 am without an alarm. He says sleep is the most important thing he does for his fitness.
Sleep Hacks
O’Malley does everything he can to promote high-quality sleep, from blue-blocking glasses to not eating late to cutting out caffeine. He also tracks his sleep, and often gets 3+ hours of deep sleep per night, which is a lot. He also does a 20 minute meditation/nap 3-4 times a week.
Good Advice
O’Malley was not exactly a star student. He dropped out of high school in sophomore year. He says a teacher told him to change his name and get out of town, which is more or less exactly what he did.
Alter Ego
O’Malley earned the nickname of ‘Suga’ early on because his first coach said he was ‘just so sweet to watch.’
Depression Struggles
O’Malley was suspended from fighting for 2 years for testing positive for the banned substance ostarine. It was found that his use was not intentional, but being forced out of competition for an extended period took a toll on his mental health.
Rise to the Top
O’Malley moved to Arizona in 2014 and started training with fellow Montanan, Tim Welch. The two even shared an apartment. Just 3 years later, O’Malley made it to the big time.
Duty Calls
O’Malley loves to game (current fave: Call of Duty), but he doesn’t let it interfere with his sleep. He plays every day, and streams his gaming as another source of income, and he also likes having fans watch.
Open Mind Set
O’Malley says that his goal is to be the greatest fighter of all time. Once he reaches that goal, he might switch gears.
O’Malley on sleep
‘I have the best sleep in the UFC…Sleep is the #1 performance-enhancer in anything.’
O’Malley on sleep, part II
‘Sleeping is a legitimate skill.’
O’Malley on life advice
‘One of [my teachers] told me to cut my hair, change my name and move out of state…which…I pretty much did exactly that.’
O’Malley on his rise to stardom
‘I think you have to want to be a star, and when I was in middle school, I did.’
O’Malley on his fighting ban
‘I have food. I have water. I have shelter. My life is still really good. I just have to make sure I keep that perspective that it could be a lot worse.’
O’Malley on his daily routine
‘Wake up, train, play Call of Duty, take a nap…It’s been the same thing for 10 years.’
Recommended Products
Sean O’Malley Merch
Hypervolt Massager
PEMF Mat
RYSE Energy Drink
Timex
Richard Mille Watches
Rolex
BJJ Rash Guard
BJJ Shorts
Finger Tape
BJJ Mats
Versace Sunglasses
Harmonica
Nike
Asics
Brooks
Volcano Vaporizer
