Bantamweight stars Sean O’Malley and Aljamain Sterling are verbally sparring ahead of their UFC 292 battle, with O’Malley confident he can outdo Sterling’s grappling-heavy style, and Sterling aiming for his fourth consecutive UFC title defense.
Sean O’Malley believes he’s gotten into Aljamain Sterling’s head. The two bantamweight stars are preparing for their clash at UFC 292 next Saturday, where Sterling’s championship belt will be up for grabs. Over the weeks leading to the fight, they’ve exchanged plenty of confrontational dialogue over social media. In the most recent development, Sterling has publicly mocked O’Malley for starting their conversation with some trash talk via direct message.
In an interview on The MMA Hour, O’Malley didn’t shy away from the apparent mental warfare prior to the fight. He stated, “He has what I want, he has the belt. I just let him know, I said, ‘Hey champ, you look a little nervous,’ when I saw him on the TV. I was just being honest.” O’Malley continued, hinting at Sterling’s recent weight cuts and pre-fight jitters, believing any issues Sterling might have leading up to their fight could only benefit him as the challenger.
On fight day, Sterling aims to secure his fourth defense of his bantamweight title against O’Malley at TD Garden, Boston. If he wins, it will extend his record for the most consecutive UFC title defenses at 135 pounds. In regards to what would be next, Sterling has hinted at moving to featherweight, which could open up room for his teammate, Merab Dvalishvili, to compete for the title and make his weight cuts less stressful.
Despite his comments about his opponent, O’Malley acknowledges that Sterling’s grappling-heavy style could prove to be a challenge, considering O’Malley’s striking based approach to fighting. However, he is not letting the doubts about his chances deter him from his claim that he will be the one to end Sterling’s reign. As far as he’s concerned, it’s all a part of the game.