Teddy Atlas predicted Sean O’Malley would beat Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292, and said Sterling’s aggressive strategy was his downfall as it gave O’Malley, a counterpuncher, the chance to deliver the knockout punch in the second round.
Teddy Atlas expressed his confidence in Sean O’Malley’s ability to beat Aljamain Sterling at the UFC 292 event. He made this prediction based on the construction he saw in O’Malley’s approach during the first round of the fight. Despite Sterling taking the first round on all scorecards, Atlas noted the groundwork being laid for a potential knockout in the second round by O’Malley.
Atlas elaborated on his observations from the first round during the UFC 292 post-show on ESPN+. He stated, “I think that this whole night came down to the first round. That first round was a no-no round. It was a terrible round, [a] nothing happened round. They were both being very careful. Nobody wanted to make a mistake. And then at the end, Sterling got in on him, and got a little aggressive…That’s the problem. In his mind, the end of that round led to his demise, because now he’s gonna be a little more aggressive.” The calculated nature of the first round gave O’Malley an advantageous starting position in the second round.
Atlas then elaborated on the error in aggression shown by Sterling that resulted in his defeat. Sterling was met with a countered right hand punch by O’Malley due to his unguarded charge, resulting in Sterling hitting the canvas and several subsequent shots. This led to a referee stoppage only 51 seconds into the second round. Atlas explained, “You can’t be aggressive with a counter puncher. If you just come in naked with aggression, you’re gonna get knocked out with a great counterpuncher. And that’s exactly what happened here, again, is that he got too aggressive against a counterpuncher, and you can’t do that.”
O’Malley’s strategy reminder Atlas of McGregor’s knockout of Aldo. The post-show producers compared O’Malley’s performance to McGregor’s, finding the tactics similar in evading a punch then subsequently retaliating. Atlas concluded, speaking to his colleagues Chael Sonnen, Michael Chiesa, and Michael Eaves at ESPN, “I picked him. The one that knows the least in your business, but I know what I know in the striking business. And I know that when you’re fighting a counterpuncher, you cannot make a mistake.” His prediction symbolizes a broader knowledge about the art of striking and counter-punching.