Jon Anik thinks Aljamain Sterling was pressured into defending his title at UFC 292.
Bantamweight champion Sterling (23-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) will look to extend his record for most title defenses in the division’s history when he takes on Sean O'Malley (16-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) in the Aug. 19 main event at TD Garden in Boston.
Sterling will be making a three-month turnaround after retaining his belt in a five-round battle against Henry Cejudo at UFC 288 in May. “The Funkmaster” revealed that he’s not 100 percent healthy, but will make the quick turnaround regardless to face O’Malley against his will – and Anik echoes the same sentiment.
“The fact that he is stepping up here – because the promotion didn’t hold a gun to his head,” Anik told MMA Junkie. “Like yes, he was I believe forcibly pushed into this slot, borderline bullied into this slot, but they didn’t hold a gun to his head. But it was a hard, 25-minute fight with Henry Cejudo and that shouldn’t be lost in this conversation, and that’s why I believe as I sort of said, this heightens the challenge and then it heightens the accomplishment.
“A win over Sean O’Malley is huge, it’s absolutely huge. I think all the elite bantamweights would tell you that too – on or off the record. They all acknowledge how good Sean O’Malley is, but we don’t necessarily know how good he is in terms of being a 5 tool player and being tested against a grappler like Aljamain Sterling. I cannot wait.”
Regardless of Sterling’s outcome against O’Malley, he’s Anik’s pick for greatest bantamweight of all time.
“He could lose by head kick 30 seconds in and he’s still the greatest UFC bantamweight champion of all time for me,” Anik said. “Aljamain Sterling is criminally under appreciated, always will be… Dominick Cruz is one of my best friends in the world, former two-time UFC bantamweight champion.
“At this point – not that you even wanted to have this conversation, he’s the only guy in the conversation with Aljamain Sterling as far as I’m concerned. Aljo’s UFC body of work at this stage, just recently capped with a Henry Cejudo win, is impossible to compete with at this point in time. Too many high-level UFC wins for Aljamain Sterling for anyone else to compete with.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 292.
