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Aljamain Sterling shocked most of the MMA world when he solidified his status as the UFC bantamweight champion with a unanimous decision victory over Petr Yan at UFC 273.
Sterling had previously “won” the title off of Yan after Yan was disqualified in their previous fight for throwing an illegal knee. The Russian had been comfortably winning at the time/
Sterling’s second victory over Yan cemented his status as the king of the Bantamweight division. That status has only become more clear with victories over T.J. Dillashaw and Henry Cejudo in his last two title defenses.
But now he faces a new test in the form of No. 1 contender Sean O’Malley.
O’Malley began his MMA career with a 12-0 record and the hype train was rolling full steam ahead. But a loss to Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera at UFC 252 derailed that train a bit.
Since then, O’Malley has rebounded with four wins in his last five fights (with one no contest), including an upset victory over Yan at UFC 280.
Sterling, however, doesn’t seem fazed ahead of their UFC 292 main event on Aug. 19.
“I’m looking at him and seeing what he’s doing to the guys,” Sterling said Jake Paul’s “B.S.” video podcast. “He’s fighting guys that are stationary, standing right in front of him. He takes his time, he lets them pick their shots, and then he picks his shots and he lays the better shots. I’m like, if you get a guy who’s actually trying to wrestle him, it’s a different fight, man…You get a guy with good footwork, it’s not the same fight, man.
O’Malley, who has never been afraid to speak his mind in the past, hasn’t yet responded to Sterling’s comments. But it’s hard to imagine the challenger will be all that happy with the man he’s hoping to unseat atop the division.