Aljamain Sterling doesn’t think Sean O'Malley deserves a title shot – and he plans on showing it.
Sterling (23-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) defends his bantamweight title against O’Malley (16-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) Saturday in the main event of UFC 292, which takes place at TD Garden in Boston and airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.
O’Malley earned a title shot after a razor-thin split decision win over former champion Petr Yan last October at UFC 280. Sterling has been critical of O’Malley’s resume, and thinks he’s had to go through a much tougher road to get to the top.
“I want to smash this guy’s face,” Sterling said in a Q&A on his YouTube channel. “I want to smash the ugly mole rat. When I take this man down, that naked mole rat is getting smashed. I want him to pay for everything that he’s said – all the trash talk, all his Dana White privilege. I ain’t have none of that, and I can’t wait to take it out on him.”
Although Sterling isn’t sold on O’Malley’s strength of schedule, he won’t underestimate him.
“Based on accolades, O’Malley is on the longer list of accomplishments, I mean the only guy he beat by split decision is Petr Yan,” Sterling said. “Everybody else is out of the UFC. So, it’s a tough test. The guy in front of you is always the toughest competition so, I’m not overlooking him by any means. He’s long. He’s rangy. I made sure I brought some great training partners to get the looks and do the same mannerisms he does in the octagon.”
“The Funkmaster” is eyeing a TKO win, but has no problem snapping up O’Malley’s neck if he gives him the opportunity.
“My prediction, I think second-round TKO,” Sterling said. “But if he gives me his neck – he’s got that little daddy long neck out there so, if he leaves that out there, I’m going to strangle his ass.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 292.
