Aljamain Sterling is looking for a big-money fight against Sean O’Malley next.
The UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling is not ready to rush into his next fight but when that time comes he is willing to take on anyone. Sterling is fresh off of his last title defense against TJ Dillashaw but the people already want to see his next bout lined up. He defended his belt for the second time at UFC 280 but that same night Sean O’Malley solidified himself as the number one contender. This is a matchup that the fans want to see.
Sterling is clear that he will take on whoever the UFC throws his way and is not afraid of anyone in his division. He spoke to the media during the UFC 281 fight week about what is next for him and his career.
“I’ll whoop all their asses no matter what,” Sterling said via MMA Junkie. “That’s how I honestly feel. If I had to match make, I’m gonna go by who’s the No. 1 contender. I don’t believe in cutting the line. I believe in doing things the hard way, the way I had to do it. I didn’t get any handouts. I had to fight through everybody in the top five pretty much, the top 10. There was no shortcuts to just jump the line and elevate to a title shot opportunity.”
Aljamain Sterling thinks a bout with Sean O’Malley will be the most lucrative
Over the course of his young UFC career, Sean O’Malley has secured a sort of cult following. He is one of the most popular fighters on the UFC roster and it is because of this a fight against him is a desired one. Sterling wants a big money fight and believes that O’Malley is the right fit for that. Although the hype is behind O’Malley at this point, Sterling still thinks he can end his night early once they meet inside the cage.
“If I had to pick somebody, give me the money fight,” Sterling said. “Whichever one that is – I think it’s personally O’Malley. And people may think, ‘Oh, you’re just going to take him down and steamroll him.’ I think I would do that to anybody. So, he could catch me the same way I could take him down, and it would be a short night for him. The same way he could catch me and it would be a short night for myself as well.”
Sterling has mentioned wanting to wait until summer to fight again. If that is the case, O’Malley could be up to face one of the other top contenders such as Marlon Vera. With Sterling and O’Malley having their last fights less than a month ago, there could still be a few months until any matchmaking occurs.
