In a recent interview, Sean O’Malley discussed the possibility of facing Henry Cejudo in the event if Aljamain Sterling was forced to bow out of their fight scheduled for August. At the end of last month, Dana White made the announcement that ‘Suga’ will be challenging ‘Funk Master’ for the UFC bantamweight title on August 19 at UFC 292, which would take place at the TD Garden in Boston.
As a result of Sterling’s recent victory over Cejudo at UFC 288 in which he finished the match after five rounds, there were some concerns that the champion might have to return to action too soon. Additionally, Sterling disclosed that he had a history of injuries, some of which are currently causing him discomfort.
Although it does not appear that there will be any changes to the bantamweight title battle, Sean O’Malley recently disclosed that, despite the fact that it would not make sense to him, he would accept Henry Cejudo as a backup opponent in the event if Aljamain Sterling backed out of the match.
O’Malley addressed Cejudo’s wish to be the backup fighter for his fight against Sterling on a recent episode of The BrOMalley Show. In response to Cejudo’s request, O’Malley stated:
It doesn’t really make sense to have a backup fighter… If Aljo withdrew from the war and they offered me Henry, I would gladly accept it. It’s just very strange. He just lost.”
O’Malley extended his speculation on possible backup fighters by saying the following:
“‘Chito,’ who is actually Marlon Vera, was just smoked, and you can’t really have him. Petr [Yan] has recently been smoked; hence, I am unable to have him. Cory Sandhagen is reportedly going to fight Umar Nurmagomedov, while Merab Dvalishvili is in the operating room getting surgery. Rob Font is the individual that comes to me first when I think of someone who is highly ranked.
AKA head coach Javier Mendez believes Sean O’Malley could upset Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292
A recent statement made by the head coach of the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) suggested that Sean O’Malley have the ability to defeat Aljamain Sterling and win the bantamweight title in the UFC.
At UFC 280, ‘Suga’ earned himself a crack at the title by virtue of a victory over Petr Yan that resulted in a highly contentious split decision. At UFC 292, O’Malley will defend his title against Sterling in a battle that is widely considered to be one of the toughest challenges he has faced to this point.
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SEAN O’MALLEY ENTERS THE OCTAGON TO CALL OUT STERLING 😦#UFC288 20377 2351
In a recent interview with ‘The Schmo,’ Javier Mendez expressed his opinion that Sean O’Malley has a good chance of winning the fight if he is able to defend against Aljamain Sterling’s takedowns. This was Javier Mendez’s opinion. Mendez remarked the following in reference to ‘Suga’s superiority on the feet:
“It’s a no-brainer that we should fight. When they fight in the standup, Sterling has no chance of defeating O’Malley. In a standup fight, he is not going to be able to defeat O’Malley. It is necessary for him to close the distance and get on his back. If Sterling is able to accomplish that, which he is most than capable of accomplishing, then O’Malley is in for a long and difficult evening. But if O’Malley can keep it off the floor – keep it at a distance and use his terrific striking, there’s a chance he can pull off an upset.
