Sean O’Malley is one fetch away from making historical past.
“Sugar” is anticipated to be the next challenger for bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling, who efficiently defended his belt at UFC 288 by job of a spoil up nod over the returning Henry Cejudo. Throughout Sterling’s post-combat interview, O’Malley entered the cage and engaged in a trash talk-filled faceoff with Sterling to space up their doable bout.
A cageside seek for gave O’Malley an up-close salvage a study Sterling and whereas he has immense admire for the champ’s talents, he expects to beat the potentialities after they ultimately meet.
“If one factor, I could perchance perchance per likelihood properly whine his fuel tank,” O’Malley answered on The MMA Hour when requested what impressed him most about Sterling. “Sustaining with Henry for 5 rounds, that turned further spectacular than one factor. I do know the map wherein perilous of an opponent Aljo is. I do know his strengths, I do know his weaknesses, he might perchance perchance very efficiently be idea of as the perfect bantamweight of all time correct now together with his resume, so I do know what I’m entering into into. I’m very mad for the misery and I elevate out think about I even salvage the means and the talents to exit there and shock the realm on story of I elevate out think about I’m going to be a broad underdog.”
“I mediate when you occur to salvage a study who he’s beat and the map wherein his style is, very grappling heavy, I haven’t really fought a really, really trustworthy grappler but all of the map wherein by the octagon,” O’Malley continued. “Clearly, I put alongside aspect absolute killers. I understand the place the strengths and weaknesses are and I elevate out think about I even salvage the talents and I mediate the surface perspective shall be Aljo’s going exit there and lift out what he did to Cory [Sandhagen]. We’ve acquired type of comparable physique kinds, so I’ve correct acquired to closing longer than 12 seconds, than Cory, and it’s a fetch. Comely jokes.”
Given Sterling’s title protection certain and O’Malley’s standing, a battle between the two is anticipated to be one amongst essentially the most extremely anticipated bouts within the historical past of the 135-pound division. O’Malley us unbeaten in his previous 5 fights and is coming off of an exhilarating spoil up choice fetch over two-time UFC champion Petr Yan.
Regardless of his star vitality, O’Malley acknowledged he has no longer been assured pay-per-search for features for a doable title fight with Sterling.
“It sucks on story of the champ clearly will get the pay-per-search for features that I wasn’t in a position to acquire that on my phrases and whine, ‘Good day, you recognize what? Let me acquire a minute bit piece of that,’” O’Malley acknowledged. “So I’m no longer really—It’s a type of. If I elevate out acquire that, perchance I try to push it a minute bit further, nevertheless on the stay of the day I want it to guard out really efficiently. Aljo’s going to ship me a minute bit share of it, he acknowledged. I mediate it’ll simple elevate out really efficiently. As a ways as a quantity to positioned on it, I’ll whine correct twice as trustworthy as no matter this one did.”
“I’m making a trustworthy amount of cash, so I’m no longer too insecure about it,” O’Malley added. “I’m getting paid, so I’ll be alright with out that. I’ve acquired to exit there and easy elevate out what I’ve acquired to guard out and that’s take Aljo out after which we’ll streak from there.”
O’Malley later clarified that he turned joking about Sterling providing him a lower of the pay-per-search for earnings.
He additionally maintained a mild angle earlier than squaring off with Sterling as he found himself seated with Sterling’s household at Prudential Middle in Newark, N.J. In distinction to the tense incompatibility that turned to return abet, O’Malley ended up supporting Sterling considerably on story of he turned observing alongside Sterling’s mother.
“I do know the map my mother will get all of the map wherein by the fights, so I turned type of making an attempt to consolation her, ‘Aljo’s going to guard out trustworthy,’” O’Malley acknowledged. “She’s a nice lady, so it wasn’t awkward. I’ve acquired to beat up her son, what, am I going to be imply to her too?”
O’Malley is determined to salvage his showdown with Sterling occur in Boston, which is anticipated to host a UFC match on Aug. 19. Sterling acknowledged he’s centered on a September return, nevertheless O’Malley doesn’t glimpse why Sterling might perchance perchance trustworthy simple be allowed to name the pictures on this draw back.
“In the event that they acquire the venue, in the event that they acquire Boston, I mediate the UFC would would favor to boost me to Boston,” O’Malley acknowledged. “I don’t know the map principal of a fairly a number of Aljamain has. He’s the champ, I’m the No. 1 man, he didn’t acquire injured, he’s trustworthy. Regardless, I mediate I’m combating in Boston. Whether or not or no longer he must imprint up and salvage the most important payday of his life, that’s as a lot as him.”
It’s particularly crucial for O’Malley to return abet to motion supplied that he hasn’t fought since this previous October, the place he beat Yan at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi. Other than, since Sterling is so assured that he’ll salvage fast work of him, O’Malley feels that Sterling might perchance perchance trustworthy as efficiently correct imprint the contract for the fight and concern about preparation later.
“I’m mad, I’m prepared to achieve abet in there,” O’Malley acknowledged. “I mediate September, who’s conscious of the place that card’s going to be in September? I mediate August is interesting. That’s 15 weeks, three and a half of months, that’s rattling close to 4 months. That’s plenty of time for him to take only a few weeks off, acquire abet in there.
“He did whine he’s going to fold me in a single spherical, so I don’t even know why he would put collectively. Presumably take 14 weeks off, put collectively fight week, and take a look at to achieve the job achieved there.”
