Sean O’Malley regrets not backing up Josh Hokit during UFC press conference chaos

UFC star Sean O’Malley has explained why he feels like he probably should have backed up Josh Hokit during the UFC Freedom 250 press conference.

In the midst of Josh Hokit getting into a war of words with Alex Pereira and Ilia Topuria, Sean O’Malley was sat there taking in all of the madness, barely even blinking. A lot of people found great amusement in the sight, even turning it into memes, but that wasn’t the position of Josh Hokit who felt like ‘Suga’ missed his chance to defend his American brother.

Sean O’Malley, of course, will be competing at UFC Freedom 250 against Aiemann Zahabi, in a fight that could earn him another crack at the UFC bantamweight championship – depending on how the chaos unfolds in the title picture with Petr Yan now being the champion.

In a recent interview, Sean O’Malley responded to Hokit’s claims and had some pretty interesting things to say on the matter.

Sean O’Malley on Josh Hokit drama

“Dammit, I’m not on social so I don’t see anything,” O’Malley told MMA Fighting. “I know that whole moment went viral and I didn’t see Hokit saying that. Yeah, maybe I should have. When you’re that close to Alex Pereira, you don’t really think like ‘I might talk some s**t.’ I’m like I’m going to sit here and f*cking shut up.

“But you know what, he’s not wrong. I should have been on Team Hokit. He’s absolutely right. Maybe I should have stepped back a few feet and got behind him and then started talking s**t.”

“I f*cked up,” O’Malley said. “I think what went through my mind, if I don’t do anything and I just sit here still, it would look hilarious. That was kind of my thought process and it worked out that way.

“But Hokit was right. I could have spoke up and said something. Nothing comes to mind, but I could have spoke up.”

Quotes via MMA Fighting

While it may have seemed like a good idea in hindsight, O’Malley knows that he has one focus right now – and that is on getting past Aiemann Zahabi, not aligning himself with one of the more controversial figures currently residing in the UFC.