HELENA — It's been a whirlwind life for the O'Malley family since "Suga" Sean became a mixed martial artist rising in Montana.
But the past year has taken that craziness and multiplied it tenfold, as the "Suga Show" won the UFC bantamweight title in Boston last August and defended it in March in Miami.
"It's kind of a pinch-me type of thing. I guess I don't even realize the full excitement of having a son as a as a world champion, and he's still Sean," O'Malley's father, Dan O'Malley, said. "I talk to him every day on the phone. He doesn't talk to me like he's a superstar. He talks to me like he's Sean."
Sean's stardom has continued to explode after already serving as one of the most popular figures in combat sports, and he'll attempt to keep it all going when he defends the crown Saturday night against challenger Merab Dvalishvili at Sphere in Las Vegas.
But the Helena native broke through to new heights when he first took home the belt, something that didn't surprise those closest to him.
"In the last three years, we all knew it," Dan O'Malley said. "I mean, Sean's just ... he has so much confidence and he has so much ability that we all knew it was going to happen. I don't think anybody in our family was surprised that this was going to happen."
O'Malley's celebrity has blown up even further, with appearances and a front-row seat on things like The Roast of Tom Brady on Netflix, and a recent social media shoot with the Arizona Cardinals football team as well.
For the family, recognition has grown as well, including in Helena where his dad still resides.
And the two still talk every day.
"Sean and I, we made a decision years ago that we don't talk about business," Dan O'Malley said. "I want to talk to Sean. We call him 'Nonny.' I want to talk to Sean. When I call him, I don't want to talk to 'Suga Sean.'
"I see everything else you're doing, but let's just be father-son. So most of our conversations are he got a new tractor, or Tammy the cow, or a lot of it's over his daughter Elena. So I would say 99% of our conversations are just father-son conversations, not business."
O'Malley's recognition has exploded locally as well, as the state of Montana has more willingly embraced their proverbial fighting son.
Just weeks after his title win in Boston, O'Malley was welcomed home in front of tens of thousands of people at Washington-Grizzly Stadium during a University of Montana football game, where he raised the No. 37 flag, stayed and supported the Griz football team the whole time, then celebrated with them after.
It was a moment that validated O'Malley in his home state, and one the nerves were high for just moments before his appearance.
"And I said, 'Why are you so nervous?'" Dan O'Malley recalled. "'You just fought in front of five million people. There's 20,000 people out here.' And he said, 'I don't want to disappoint Montana. I'm super excited to be back to Montana. I want to make sure it's the right thing. I want to make sure I do what's right for Montana.' So it was kind of cool to see that."
Then he revisited his hometown for a sponsorship deal with Town Pump earlier this year, with a countless number of his fans there to welcome him back again.
Life since O'Malley became champ has continued to be blessed for him and the family, as the Montanan is set to enter the spotlight once again at UFC 306 later this week.
"It's like he still has those Montana roots, and he still wants to present those Montana roots," Dan O'Malley said.
