Intense, angry and violent stares are common in MMA promotions around the world – but not when Sean O’Connell was fighting.
Before retiring from the sport in 2018, O’Connell gained notoriety for approaching faceoffs with opponents in a quirky, amusing and disarming manner.
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A viral video compilation of his best moments, which often racks up millions of views on social media, shows him taking selfies, playing games, bringing flowers, eating pizza and blowing bubbles during his stay in MMA.
The 40-year-old was always known as a prankster and tried to stand out from other fighters before making his UFC debut in April 2014.
“I was goofing around a bit when I was fighting on the regional scene, but it was never something super-choreographed or very well thought out,” O’Connell told talkSPORT.com.
“When I first started in the UFC, Ryan Jimmo – rest in peace, Ryan Jimmo – was my opponent and he was a guy I knew pretty well because we had spent time together trying out for season 8 of The Ultimate Fighter.
“He was a really good guy. We were backstage and he said, “What are we going to do?” » Are we going to pretend (we hate each other)? I was like, “No, man! It’s not me, it’s not you.
“My coach, Jeremy Horn, actually told me, ‘You should just try to make everyone laugh.’ So we came up with the linked-arms toast and it kind of took off from there.
“People really liked that one, and then I realized that if I’m going to weigh for the UFC and PFL at big shows, I better have a good idea every time.”
The UFC clearly loved it and kept him on their roster despite O’Connell losing his first two fights with the promotion.
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Not everyone appreciated him trying to be funny before a fight.
O’Connell added: “Steve Bosse in Canada didn’t take too kindly to the antics.
“There was a language barrier, he speaks French. I would always tell my opponents backstage, “Hey, I’m going to do something crazy, that’s no disrespect to you, but that’s kind of what people know me for.”
“My opponents expected it and most of them played it and had a good time with it. But Steve Bosse was rather impassive, rather cold. I think he thought it was stupid.
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O’Connell’s run in the UFC ended after five losses in seven fights.
However, he was quickly caught up by the PFL where he continued to make people laugh while resurrecting his career by winning four of his next five fights.
Despite playing the class clown for years, O’Connell showed how smart he was by leaving the sport immediately after the biggest victory of his life.
‘The Real OC’ won the PFL’s million-dollar tournament before retiring from the sport a rich man – unlike most MMA stars who fight well past their prime and don’t have much to show.
O’Connell is now a PFL commentator and really enjoys being as close to the sport as possible without donning the gloves himself.
Fans are always waiting for a fighter to follow in their footsteps and make watching fun again.
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