Aljamain Sterling Calls Sean O’Malley A ‘Knock-Off’ Conor McGregor: ‘That Was Like The Trajectory That He Was On’

Sterling previews his next fight with McGregor 'wannabe' O'Malley.

Via Sugasean
(via @sugasean - Instagram)

Aljamain Sterling isn’t short of words when it comes to Sean O’Malley.

The UFC Bantamweight Champion is set to make a quick turnaround this summer when he takes on ‘Suga’ at UFC 292 in Boston. Sterling just defended his title against Henry Cejudo earlier this month and will have to manage his time effectively to take on the #2 ranked contender in August. 

Sterling Plans To Remove ‘Cavity’ O’Malley

O’Malley has talked a lot on his way to the top of the division, more than ever, especially after defeating former champ Petr Yan at UFC 280. the bantamweight champ has had enough of his antics — but, that doesn’t mean he’s taking him less serious as an opponent.

“Man, this, this division has been played with ‘Suga’ for way too long. It’s time I take this division out to the dentist and just get this cavity removed,” Sterling said of O’Malley on his podcast. “This is gonna be a great fight. I think people are writing Sean off a little more than they should.

“And don’t get me wrong, I do think on paper I have the better skillset. But, I can’t wait to go out there and prove that even with the guy as dangerous of a striker as him and all the other high level strikers that I’ve faced in the past, that wrestling trumps all, especially when you’re using good timing, good conditioning, and you just have the will and desire to win. I think this one’s going to be not easy, but I do think after this I will be Mr. four-time ‘Funkmaster’.”

‘Suga’ Is Swimming With Sharks

With mad striking skills and some viral knockouts on his highlight reel, ‘Suga’ brings in another level of stardom to the Octagon. O’Malley has amassed quite the following on social media, gaining a fanbase of 2.8M followers on his Instagram alone. 

On The MMA Hour, O’Malley’s coach Tim Welch suggested the UFC ‘would love to see a KO artist that’s as flashy as Sean be the champion’, to which Sterling has since seen and responded to. 

“I do think that the UFC does want [O’Malley as the face of the division],” Sterling said. [O’Malley’s coach Tim Welch] started going into like his reasonings of why and start calling himself like this knockout artist and not saying he never knocked anybody out, but it’s just very different now that he’s swimming with the big boys in the deep end.”

“…Anytime this man has stepped in there with a shark in the deep end, he’s been chewed up for the most part every single time,” Sterling added. “Maybe not say chewed up… well, [actually] Chito, he got flatlined. You ever see a domino, how you just topple it over and just falls? [That’s Sean O’Malley].”

‘Wannabe Knock-Off McGregor’

While O’Malley has yet to reach his ceiling both in his fighting skills and starpower, Sterling says he’s no Conor McGregor, the biggest MMA star to date.

“We just haven’t quite seen this magic knockout [from] wannabe knock-off McGregor, that was like the trajectory that he was on. But, for some reason it’s just like people just don’t got the formula or the juice to be Conor.”

“Sean thinks he’s the next Conor McGregor but he’s not,” Sterling titled in his video.

Do you agree with Aljamain Sterling?

Published on May 27, 2023 at 3:51 pm
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