COO Lawrence Epstein predicted that UFC bantamweight Sean O’Malley has the potential to be the sport’s next mainstream superstar. Epstein made the comments during a Sports Business Journal Twitter Spaces event last week prior to UFC 277.
Epstein cited O’Malley’s appeal to the younger demographic. Of course, the 27 years old is well-versed in the world of social media with 2.4 million followers on Instagram, another 451,000 onf Facebook and 426,000 on Twitter and YouTube. O’Malley also has another 150,000 followers on his Twitch channel where he plays various video games.
Epstein lauded O’Malley’s aesthetic in how he connects with a cross-section of fans.
Epstein also pointed to Khazmat Chimaev as another fighter in the UFC that could grab mainstream appeal. Chimaev’s appeal relates more to his in-ring style rather than the popularity of O’Malley outside the ring.
Payout Perspective:
Bear in mind that Epstein’s comments were made with the Sports Business Journal, and made news by the same outlet. Also, O’Malley is set to fight for the bantamweight title this October. Still, the bantamweight has created a persona outside of the Octagon that many young people gravitate toward. In my opinion, a portion of this outside influence is a reason that he’s received this October’s title shot.
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