UFC icon claims Sean O'Malley is bigger than Alex Pereira, Conor McGregor beefs with 'GOT' star, Ariel Helwani slams Jon Jones: MMA News Roundup

Welcome to today's edition of Sportskeeda MMA News Roundup. A UFC icon called Sean O'Malley the biggest star in the sport. Conor McGregor got torched on social media by Game of Thrones star Liam Cunningham after mocking his stance on the Freedom Flotilla mission.

Lastly, Ariel Helwani went after Jon Jones for allegedly backing out of the UFC heavyweight title unification bout against Tom Aspinall. Let's break them all down:

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Chael Sonnen claims Sean O’Malley is the UFC’s biggest star

Sean O'Malley may have lost his last two fights, but Chael Sonnen believes the American fighter is still the biggest star in the sport. Sonnen said O'Malley remains the face of MMA even though he failed to reclaim the bantamweight title in his rematch with Merab Dvalishvili.

Sonnen placed O'Malley ahead of Alex Pereira, the former UFC light heavyweight champion. While Pereira’s brutal knockouts have earned him respect, Sonnen pointed out that O’Malley connects with mainstream audiences in ways few fighters can. Speaking in a recent episode of ESPN MMA's Good Guy/ Bad Guy, Sonnen said:

"I think we should let this simmer, let him take his oars out of the water. He's very sad. He’s the sport’s biggest star, and he doesn’t have a world championship. Behind him is Alex Pereira, who has the same thing in common. And that path back requires some strategy, but it also requires a little bit of patience.”

Check out Chael Sonnen's comments below (22:40):

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Conor McGregor gets brutally roasted by Game of Thrones star

After mocking Game of Thrones actor Liam Cunningham over his support of the recent Freedom Flotilla mission to Gaza, Conor McGregor found himself on the losing end of a viral exchange.

The incident began when Cunningham posted about the humanitarian flotilla that was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters. The ship, carrying aid for Gaza, lost contact with the outside world after the raid. McGregor then posted a taunt, asking why Cunningham wasn’t on the boat and calling him a "bottler."

Cunningham, known to fans as Davos Seaworth in Game of Thrones, referenced McGregor’s history of tapping out in high-profile fights. He wrote:

"Didn't know you could read and write Conor. Thought you used your hands to just tap out."

Check out the full exchange below:

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Ariel Helwani slams Jon Jones over title unification drama

Veteran MMA journalist Ariel Helwani called out Jon Jones this week, accusing the champion of disrespecting the sport and its fans after allegedly backing out of the highly anticipated title unification bout with interim champion Tom Aspinall.

Jones had initially agreed to fight Aspinall but later withdrew, with no public explanation offered. UFC CEO Dana White confirmed the shift in plans in a recent press appearance.

Helwani did not hold back in his criticism, saying the situation has embarrassed the heavyweight division and shortchanged Aspinall. Speaking on a recent episode of The Ariel Helwani Show, he said:

"The mockery of this [UFC] belt... This sport... The organization that [Jones] has made over the last couple months. And for the first time, we've gotten some real answers from Dana White. For the first time, we've gotten some real clarity from [White]... You may not have noticed it face value... but right here on this G**forsaken show, I've been telling you the story from the beginning, and on Saturday, he finally confirmed it. And here's a spoiler, in a couple weeks he'll confirm it even further."

Check out Ariel Helwani's comments below: