UFC fighter “Suga” Sean O’Malley visits Kyler Murray and the NFL Cardinals before his fight against Merab Dvalishvili in Las Vegas

O’Malley gave Murray his own UFC belt and Murray signed a jersey for the champion in return. Murray said there is a place in his office where the belt will be displayed.

After practice, O’Malley caught a few passes from Murray, attempted a pass rush against Will Hernandez with tips from Dennis Gardeck, and dueled with Trey McBride and Marvin Harrison Jr.

O’Malley was born in Montana but has lived in Arizona for the past decade. Although he grew up a Broncos fan, following in his mother’s footsteps, he lost touch with the sport when he started training. In fact, like many young kids, his first dream was to play in the NFL.

“(These drills) are probably the closest thing to NFL life, but I embrace it,” he said.

With the Cardinals team on the rise, O’Malley has turned his loyalty to the new home team.

“The Cardinals are my team now,” O’Malley said. “I live 20 minutes from the stadium. I’ve been here for 10 years, so it feels like home and I’m excited to be back here and have a team to cheer for.”

UFC Noche will be a monumental day for live sports as the event will take place at The Sphere in Las Vegas and will be the first live sporting event at the venue.

“It’ll probably become clear to me later when I see the highlights of me knocking (Dvalishvili) out,” O’Malley said. “But right now, it’s no different than fighting at T-Mobile Arena or in Boston or Miami. I’m going to go in a cage the same size and do what I do.”

With a record of 18-1 (don’t ask him about the loss – he’ll tell you he’s undefeated after avenging his loss to Marlon “Chito” Vera in March), O’Malley, known for “knocking people’s lights out,” predicts a first- or second-round knockout.

“Sean is one of the best and he has the ability to do what he does and hit people’s chins,” Murray said. “With his size, the way he does it and the attitude he does it with, he’s fun to watch.”

Hernandez is from Las Vegas and has a lot of respect for O’Malley, especially considering he is competing in the main event of a fight card that is intended to be a tribute to Mexican Independence Day weekend.

“The Mexican fans love Sean O’Malley,” Hernandez said. “We’re just naturally competitive people and we work hard. That’s what he’s doing there. He represents us to a great extent.”

The fight will take place the night before the Cardinals’ home opener at State Farm Stadium, which will see the Rams come to town in 2024. Whether it’s against the Rams or one of the other home games, O’Malley shared his interest in attending a game.

But first he has to take care of some business at The Sphere.

“It’s going to be a great feeling to knock him out, boom, and then look at (Dvalishvili’s) team being devastated,” O’Malley said. “I’m going to enjoy that.”