Sean O’Malley has taken extreme measures to win back his belt – making a number of lifestyle changes ahead of UFC 316.
‘Suga Sean’ takes on Merab Dvalishvili this Saturday night in New Jersey having been dominated by the champion last autumn and even changed a sexual habit in a bid to find an edge.
He revealed he has not masturbated yet in 2025, along with a host of other alterations to his lifestyle.
O’Malley did not detail whether he was fully abstaining from sex in the lead-up to his fight but it is a practice used by many combat athletes over the years despite there being no scientific evidence that it affects performance.
The 30-year-old, who is in an open relationship with wife Danya Gonzalez, said on his podcast: ‘I haven’t j’d the peen (masturbated) once this year – not once in 2025.
‘Haven’t j’d the peen, haven’t been on social. I haven’t gamed, either. I quit gaming. I did a lot of gaming, two or three hours a day, and I need to fill it with something.
Sean O’Malley, pictured with wife Danya Gonzalez, revealed a number of lifestyle changes
O’Malley was dethroned last year by Merab Dvalishvili and the rematch is at UFC 316
‘We’ve been playing a lot of Texas Hold ‘Em poker with the fellas. It’s been too fun. It’s like gaming.
‘You say, “One more hand.” I quit smoking weed, too. I just stopped randomly. I just didn’t like the way it made me feel. I’m not overeating. My sleep’s better.’
O’Malley was known for his use of social media in cultivating his fanbase and rising up in popularity to the point where some tipped him to be the next UFC superstar.
But he has chosen to stay away from Instagram, X and other sites in a bid to clear his head and have more time for his family and training.
He went on: ‘I feel like a lot of things that have changed in my life are going to attribute to my performance.
‘For example, not being on social media. I decided in 2025 [that] I’m done with social media.
‘I don’t get on social media, and I feel like that’s changed my life.
‘It’s only been three months, but I literally feel like it’s changed my life, and I feel like that’s going to play a role in my performance.
O’Malley says he has also stopped smoking as he bids to find an edge in the fight
O’Malley has been playing plenty of poker instead of gaming in the lead-up to Saturday
The Georgian is a dominant force as champion and O’Malley is pulling out all the stops to win
‘All those little things –making decisions like that, sacrifices.
‘I don’t believe [social media] is a sacrifice, but giving up something, I feel like that is going to help me perform in the future.’
O’Malley previously made headlines for his unconventional love life and in 2023 controversially said he could sleep with other women because he treats his wife well.
‘I’m a king, I pay for everything,’ O’Malley said while a guest on Bradley Martyn’s Raw Talk podcast.
‘I treat Danya like a queen. If I get a little p***y on the side, what does that have to do with anything? I have testosterone running through my veins; it’s simple.
‘If I wasn’t paying for everything, if I wasn’t, you know, successful in any sort of way, and I was just like maybe an average Joe, I probably wouldn’t. It probably wouldn’t be fair. But I’m f***ing King Kong baby.’
O’Malley has not fought since his defeat by Dvalishvili last September, leading to some complaints about him being afforded a rematch.
The champion remains a favourite to beat ‘Suga Sean’ again but it will be interesting to see whether those lifestyle sacrifices lead to a change in performance this Saturday night.
