UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley is no stranger to controversy, but his latest headline-grabbing moment came courtesy of Haliey Welch, also known as the “Hawk Tuah Girl.” During a recent episode of the “Talk Tuah” podcast, Welch decided to expose O’Malley for sliding into her DMs and attempting to call her several times, catching the attention of MMA fans everywhere.
Welch, who gained fame through her viral “Hawk Tuah” videos and her unique online presence, didn’t hold back when sharing the details of her unexpected encounter with the UFC star. “What is that fella’s name that’s been messaging me all week? That O’Malley boy,” she said on her podcast. “I had, like, five missed calls from him, and I was like, what the f–k?”
Welch further revealed that O’Malley had used Instagram’s direct messaging feature to make the calls since he didn’t have her phone number. “I didn’t even know you could f–king do that,” she added, expressing her surprise at the feature.
The clip quickly spread across social media, with fans reacting to Welch’s candid comments about O’Malley’s late-night behavior. The situation seemed to catch everyone by surprise, but perhaps no one more than Sean O’Malley himself, who was left with no choice but to address the story.
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Shortly after the clip went viral, O’Malley took to his own platform to respond to Welch’s comments and provide some context for his actions. The UFC superstar admitted to sliding into Welch’s DMs and trying to call her multiple times, but he offered an unusual explanation: he was under the influence of OxyContin at the time, following a recent surgery.
“I was on OxyContin. It was the day of my surgery or the next day,” O’Malley explained during his live stream. “So I was on OxyContin. I was live on Twitch. I was live on Instagram. And I was trying to call people to freestyle. And I’m just f–ked up. I’m on OxyContin. The boys are f–king higher than kites. And we’re just… I called Adin Ross, SteveWillDoIt… I was calling a bunch of people to freestyle.”
O’Malley painted a picture of a chaotic scene, where he and his friends were on painkillers, live-streaming, and attempting to reach out to various personalities to get them to freestyle with him. It was during this high-spirited—and apparently intoxicated—night that O’Malley decided to reach out to the “Hawk Tuah Girl.”
“They wanted me to call the ‘Hawk Tuah’ girl,” O’Malley explained, referring to his friends who were likely egging him on during the live stream. “So I found her IG [Instagram], and I tried to click the little call button. But it didn’t go through, so I clicked it a few times. Then she’s like, ‘He called me like, five times.’ Which, she’s not wrong. I did call her like, five times. I was trying to get her to freestyle … and maybe a little Hawk Tuah,” he added with a smirk.
The story of O’Malley sliding into Welch’s DMs and attempting to call her five times was equal parts bizarre and humorous, leading fans to share a mix of laughter and criticism online.
For many, it was yet another example of O’Malley’s unfiltered personality—an athlete who doesn’t shy away from embracing the absurd or owning up to his often unpredictable behavior. However, the interaction also sparked discussions about the boundaries of social media, as well as the blurred lines between public figures and the interactions they have online.
For O’Malley, this was just the latest in a series of off-the-wall antics that have marked his rise to fame.
Known for his colorful personality, wild hairstyles, and love for creating viral moments, “Suga” Sean O’Malley has never tried to fit into the mold of a traditional athlete.
Whether it’s his flashy fighting style in the octagon or his unpredictable activities outside of it, O’Malley has built a brand around pushing boundaries and entertaining his fanbase, even if it means occasionally getting himself into awkward situations.
As for Welch, her straightforward recounting of the DM saga was met with amusement by her fans, many of whom appreciated her transparency and unbothered attitude toward O’Malley’s late-night attempts to reach her.
The “Hawk Tuah Girl,” who has gained popularity for her catchphrases and confident online persona, seemed to take the entire situation in stride, neither overly critical nor impressed by O’Malley’s advances.
In the end, O’Malley’s explanation—that he was in a post-surgery haze, feeling “higher than a kite” while attempting to engage random people on Instagram—helped contextualize what otherwise might have seemed like strange or overzealous behavior.
Still, the story has provided fans with a memorable moment, one that showcases O’Malley’s unpredictable nature and willingness to engage directly with personalities from outside the MMA world.
It remains to be seen if Welch and O’Malley will have any more interactions, or if this episode will simply be a funny story that gets filed away in the annals of strange UFC anecdotes.
For now, it stands as a reminder of the way social media can bring together different personalities in unexpected ways, and how even the biggest stars can find themselves caught up in spur-of-the-moment decisions that lead to public scrutiny.
Despite the mix of humor and criticism that O’Malley’s actions have drawn, his fans seem to appreciate his openness about the incident.
Sean O’Malley’s willingness to laugh at himself and share the truth about what happened, even when it involves being in a less-than-ideal state of mind, has been part of what endears him to his audience.
For better or worse, “Suga” Sean continues to march to the beat of his own drum, embracing the chaos along the way.
