Craig Kidwell-Imagn Images

Sean O'Malley beats up professional poker player Frankie C in sparring | Video

Originally posted on MMA Weekly | By Jeff Cain | Last updated Apr 29, 2025 8:34 AM ET

YouTube personalities sparring against top tier UFC fighters has become a thing. Former middleweight champion Sean Strickland has made a habit of it. Former heavyweight titleholder Jiri Prochazka recently beat up two Swedish YouTubers in the same sparring session.

Former bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley has now jumped on the trend. In a video posted to his YouTube channel, O'Malley roughed up professional poke player and YouTuber Frankie C (Frank Cucchiara).

O'Malley didn't take it as hard on Frankie C as Strickland does on anyone sparring with him, but ultimately dropped the influencer with body shots.

“I want him to feel like he got hit by a truck,” O’Malley said before the sparring session. “I want to hurt him in the body, I want to kick his leg a couple times. A hard couple leg kicks. I’m going to try and get him really, really tired.”

O'Malley is preparing for the biggest fight of his career, a rematch against current bantamweight titleholder Merab Dvalishvili. Dvalishvili defeated O'Malley at UFC 306 last September to win the championship.

Following the loss to Dvalishvili, O'Malley underwent hip surgery and was sidelined for months. During that time, Dvalishvili successfully defended the title against Umar Nurmagomedov. The O'Malley and Dvalishvili rematch headlined UFC 316 on June 7 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

This article first appeared on MMA Weekly and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: