Tag: UFC 292

Sean O’Malley dismisses Aljamain Sterling’s health concerns for an Aug. 19 return: ‘He acts like he calls the shots’

Sean O’Malley thinks Aljamain Sterling has plenty of time to get ready for UFC 292.

[autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] is not taking [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag]’s health concerns seriously.

The UFC bantamweight champion recently expressed concern about being ready for O’Malley for their expected bout on Aug. 19 at UFC 292 in Boston, given some lingering injuries from his most recent title defense. O’Malley thinks there’s plenty of time for Sterling to get ready and was dismissive of Sterling’s comments.

“He did just fight, but look at Izzy. Motherf*cker fought four times in 12 months,” O’Malley said on his YouTube channel. “You have four months. It was four months from the fight. Take two months off and then train hard for two months. It ain’t f*cking science. … It’s called discipline.”

Sterling defended his belt on May 6, defeating Henry Cejudo in a split decision in the main event of UFC 288. Not long after Sterling’s win, the UFC announced that the champ would return on Aug. 19, giving him 15 weeks to rest and prepare for another title defense.

O’Malley hasn’t fought since October of last year, when he outpointed former champion Petr Yan in a Fight of the Night winning performance.

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Sterling said the bout against O’Malley is verbally agreed, but he has yet to sign and make it official. He cited several lingering health issues that could derail those plans.

O’Malley doesn’t like the spirit of Sterling’s comments and believes he should adhere to the UFC’s plans.

“He acts like he calls the shots,” O’Malley said. “I’m listening to the UFC. I’m not acting like I call the shots, either. Dana said August, so I said August. It’s not like I told Dana, ‘Hey, f*cking run it August. I run this sh*t.’ I said, ‘Hey, Uncle Dana.’ I didn’t call him daddy like he said. I said, ‘Hey, Uncle Dana. When do you want me to beat up Aljo?’ And it happened to be August. I don’t know what his point is here. I don’t know what his plan is by even tweeting that.”

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Henry Cejudo: Sean O’Malley just relies on striking, will be ‘in trouble’ vs. Aljamain Sterling

Henry Cejudo expects Aljamain Sterling to have his way with Sean O’Malley at UFC 292.

[autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] expects UFC bantamweight champion [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] to have his way with [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag].

Sterling (23-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) defends his title against O’Malley (16-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) in the UFC 292 headliner Aug. 19 at TD Garden in Boston.

Cejudo is coming off a split decision loss to Sterling at UFC 288, where he was taken down four times. So if Sterling was able to take down the Olympic gold medalist wrestler, Cejudo doesn’t see how O’Malley could stop him.

“I do believe Aljamain Sterling’s gonna press him, get him against the cage,” Cejudo said on “Smack Talk With Sandhu.” “If he’s able to take me down, he could take any of those guys down. So Sean’s gonna be in trouble. Sean just relies on his striking. I’m sure he works on the jiu-jitsu, but in MMA it’s just different. I do believe that Sterling’s gonna get on top of him and pretty much just hurt him.”

Although Cejudo lost to Sterling, he was able to land three takedowns of his own. “Triple C” closed out the fight strong in Round 5 but admits the previous rounds were all very close.

“It was control the distance,” Cejudo said of his game plan. “But at the same time, I also knew that if he was gonna be rangy and a little tricky, that I was going to kind of do Mexican style, bring the pressure, but I don’t know. I’m not too happy about my performance.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 292.

Aljamain Sterling responds to Dana White, takes umbrage with lack of credit: ‘I’ve done everything the UFC has asked’

UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling clears the air about his Boston fight and takes exception with public treatment from Dana White.

[autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] admits he’s not on the same page with his promoter, but he’d like to be going forward.

UFC president [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] recently announced UFC 292 for Aug. 19 in Boston, which he said will be headlined by Sterling vs. Sean O’Malley. Days later, however, Sterling indicated he needs to heal up before the fight can happen.

Following Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 224 event in Las Vegas, White used an incredulous tone as he spoke about Sterling in reference to the UFC bantamweight champion’s next title defense.

“Aljo’s one of those guys that just can’t get out of his own way,” White told MMA Junkie and other reporters. “Apparently, he’s in for the fight. Why he said that, who knows? The fight is on. The fight is absolutely, positively on.”

Sterling responded in a video on the “The Weekly Scraps” podcast Monday and questioned why White and the UFC don’t give him the credit and respect he thinks he’s earned.

“If you want me to be the bad guy, tell me behind closed doors, behind the scenes, ‘Aljo, this is what we’re going to do. This is the script. Here it is. … This is what we see. This is what the fans are picking up on you. Why don’t we just take this and turn the volume up and accelerate the noise and make this as crazy as possible,'” Sterling said. “I’m with it. You guys know I like to play a character. I’ll be him.

“Let me be the character, but get me in on the joke. Let’s get on the joke together, but not when you’re going to keep doing this stuff and then making me look like I’m a b*tch. No, you’re not going to keep doing that, dog. F*ck out of here. Dana, get out of here with that.”

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Should Sterling fight O’Malley on Aug. 19, it’ll be his second title fight in approximately three months – an atypically quick turnaround for a champion. Sterling confirmed he plans to fight, continuing what he sees as a trend of entertaining the UFC’s requests.

“Every single time they’ve asked me to fight, I’ve saddled up, put my nuts on the table, and showed up every single time. And I won,” Sterling said. “It’s just like, at what point do I get credit from the UFC and Uncle Dana? Dana is super nice behind closed doors, but then he tells me I can’t get out of my own way. I’m like, ‘What does that even mean?’ Just clarify what that means.”

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Sterling doesn’t understand why White does raise him up in moments like Saturday’s news conference. Sterling thinks White’s answer was a long, winding roundabout to what he says is the correct answer: the fight will happen Aug. 19. It’s just a matter of how White got there that irks him.

“Why is it so hard for Dana to go… ‘Absolutely the fight is done. We spoke to him. This kid has always shown up to the fight. He always makes weight. He does all the media stuff. We know he’s going to show up. Yeah, he just fought two weeks ago. He’s a little banged up but he gave us his word he’s going to show up for this fight. The kid is a killer. The kid is a stud. Isn’t he awesome?’

“The same way he goes for Conor (McGregor) when Conor does something, ‘Oh my god, isn’t he awesome? Isn’t he awesome?’ Like, can I be awesome, too, Dana? … I’m not asking for much. … Stop playing with my name, bro. If we’re going to do this together, let’s get on the same page. Let’s do this sh*t the right way. ”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 292.

Sean O’Malley’s coach: Aljamain Sterling ‘most dangerous bantamweight champion there’s ever been’

Tim Welch, who trains Sean O’Malley, clearly isn’t taking UFC champ Aljamain Sterling lightly.

[autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag]’s coach has very high praise for UFC bantamweight champion [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag].

O’Malley (16-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) is scheduled to challenge Sterling (23-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) for the 135-pound title in the UFC 292 headliner on Aug. 19 at TD Garden in Boston.

It’s clear that O’Malley’s head coach, Tim Welch, is not taking Sterling lightly. In fact, he called Sterling the toughest test O’Malley could face.

“Stylistically, this is the most dangerous bantamweight champion there’s ever been,” Welch told ESPN. “I really think that. He’s just so athletic, he’s long, he’s strong. He’s not just a good wrestler; he’s a good wrestler with good jiu-jitsu, and he’s very funky. He switches stance, throws spazzy things at you. He’s good at chaining his wrestling together. He’s the most dangerous bantamweight there’s ever been in my opinion.”

Welch explained that Sterling’s ability to control a fight is what makes him so good.

“If you make one simple mistake, he’s going to be on your back the whole time,” Welch said. “His cardio has gotten better. He’s not only good at grappling, but he’s good at MMA grappling, too. He’s going to be good at mixing it up. The timing is going to be right when he’s ready to start punching you, then he’s ready to keep advancing to half guard, then try to mount you and force you to give up your back. He’s just very good physically and technically.”

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Welch said O’Malley, who is a striking specialist, is no stranger to having to fend off takedowns and will be prepared for Sterling’s attack.

“If anybody’s going to (beat Sterling), ‘Suga’s’ going to be able to do it,” Welch said. “His whole career, the game plan against Sean has been to pressure him and get him on the fence and take him down. His whole career has been that way.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 292.

Spinning Back Clique: Thoughts on Ngannou to PFL, UFC big fight bonanza, McGregor update, more

Watch this week’s “Spinning Back Clique” breaking down Francis Ngannou landmark PFL deal, the UFC’s big fight bonanza, and more.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. This week’s panel of Mike Bohn, Danny Segura and Brian “Goze” Garcia will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate:

  • Former UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] officially ended his free agency after signing a landmark deal with the PFL that will pay him an undisclosed minimum purse, the freedom to pursue boxing, a leadership role as the head of PFL Africa, and more. There’s never been a fighter contract like this in the history of mixed martial arts. Is this a game-changing deal and just how much of game changer is it?
  • On the same day of the Ngannou signing, the UFC announced a bonanza of big fights that will take place this summer at UFC 291 and UFC 292. First at UFC 291 on July 29 in Salt Lake City, [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] and [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] will rematch for the “BMF” title in the night’s headliner; the man card also includes [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag]’s light heavyweight debut vs. [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] in the co-headliner, Paulo Costa’s return vs. Ikram Aliskerov, Tony Ferguson vs. Bobby Green, and Michael Chiesa vs. Kevin Holland. Then at UFC 292 on Aug. 19 in Boston, two title fights will headline as bantamweight champion [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] takes on [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag], and strawweight champ [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] meets [autotag]Amanda Lemos[/autotag]. Which of these fights stands out most?
  • According to [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, the former UFC champ-champ is expected to join the drug testing pool any day now (“immediately”), which would clear the way for his return before the end of the year to fight fellow “TUF 31” coach Michael Chandler. What should be the stakes for the matchup?
  • Another Sterling fight booking, another set of questions after the 135-pound champ cast some doubt about competing Aug. 19 at UFC 292, saying he agreed verbally but his “body has to agree.” In response, UFC president [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] said Sterling “can’t get out of his own way” but assured he will fight, and O’Malley said he’ll fight whoever they put in front of him, which leads you to believe an interim title situation could arise if Sterling doesn’t make it. Does Sterling vs. O’Malley feel forced at this point compared to other champions who had more time between fights?
  • [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] was very active on social media last week, not only throwing shade at Ngannou after his PFL deal was announced but also engaging in a back-and-forth with boxing heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and issuing a (silly) challenge of sorts. What do you make of Jones’ overall vibe from last week?

“Spinning Back Clique” is released each Monday LIVE on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel. You can watch this week’s episode in the video above.

Aljamain Sterling vs. Sean O’Malley, Zhang Weili vs. Amanda Lemos official for UFC 292 in Boston

Aljamain Sterling vs. Sean O’Malley and Zhang Weili vs. Amanda Lemos will serve as main and co-main events of UFC 292.

[autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] is now official for UFC 292.

After teasing the UFC bantamweight title fight for late summer during the last pay-per-view event, UFC president [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] made the bout official Tuesday evening, along with a co-main event between strawweight champion [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] and challenger [autotag]Amanda Lemos[/autotag].

UFC 292 is set for Aug. 19 at TD Garden in Boston. No further matchups were announced for the card.

Sterling (23-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) is coming off a third title defense of his 135-pound title earlier this month in the main event of UFC 288 in New Jersey. “The Funkmaster” spoiled Henry Cejudo’s return from retirement, defeating him by split decision.

Afterward, Sterling faced off with O’Malley (16-1 MMA, 8-1), who was brought inside the octagon to promote their title fight.

O’Malley is coming off a split decision win himself, when he edged out former champion Petr Yan back in October at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi. The 28-year-old is unbeaten in his last five performances. His first and only defeat came against Ecuador’s Marlon Vera back in 2020.

In the co-main event of the card, Weili (23-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) returns for her first fight in 2023. She was last in action when she reclaimed the women’s strawweight title from then-champion Carla Esparza in the co-main event of UFC 281 last November in New York. Weili is on a two-fight winning streak since losing twice to Rose Namajunas in 2021. Those are her only two defeats inside the octagon.

Lemos (13-2-1 MMA, 7-2 UFC) also has yet to compete in 2023. In her most recent outing back in November, she stopped top contender Marina Rodriguez in the main event of UFC Fight Night 214. The win put her at a 7-1 run in her past eight bouts.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 292.

Jamahal Hill wants to ‘beat the dog sh*t’ out of Jiri Prochazka at UFC 292 in Boston

Jamahal Hill sets a deadline for his first UFC light heavyweight title defense, and says it’s up to Jiri Prochazka to meet it.

NEWARK, N.J. – [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] is setting a deadline for his first UFC light heavyweight title defense, and says it’s up to [autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag] to decide whether it can be met

Hill (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC), who claimed the vacant 205-pound belt with a dominant victory over Glover Teixeira at UFC 283 in January, is determined to get back in the octagon before the summer is up. Prochazka (29-3-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) is his ideal opponent, but with the former titleholder still recovering from a significant shoulder injury that required surgery, there’s no certainties about whether he’ll be available.

It’s the fight Hill wants the most, he said, but his patience is running thin. If Prochazka isn’t ready for the recently announced UFC 292 event Aug. 19 in Boston, then Hill said he’ll move on.

“I’m hearing maybe August (in Boston) – hopefully we get that in and get that contract soon,” Hill told MMA Junkie. “I’m not trying to wait past August. That’s all I know. I don’t want to wait past summer. Whether it’s Jiri or whoever steps forward, I’m ready to get it in.

“Whoever steps forward (if Prochazka isn’t ready), because right now, no one else make sense for real. Some guys are going to have to make some leaps or whatever to put themselves out and separate themselves from the pack. Whoever that is, that’s who I’ll take on.”

The groundwork for a showdown between Hill and Prochazka has already been laid. “Sweet Dreams” holds the belt that Prochazka never lost in the octagon, but rather vacated due to injury. The pair had a viral social media interaction in the aftermath of Hill’s title win over Teixeira, and additionally, they engaged in a tense cageside faceoff at a recent UFC event.

Both men kept it professional during the staredown, but Hill said he took something beneficial away from that moment.

“It was smooth,” Hill said. “It was cool. We were both there. They asked us to do the faceoff and everything for anticipation, because I know that’s going to be a great fight. That’s going to be a great fight for the fans. He thinks he’s ready and I already know what it is. I’m ready to show that.”

The stylistic matchup between Hill, 31, and Prochazka, 30, has fireworks written all over it. Hill has won a bonus in his past four bouts – two Fight of the Nights and two Performance of the Nights – while Prochazka has racked up four total bonuses in just three career UFC appearances overall.

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As always, Hill will prepare for five gruesome rounds where he has to dig deep, but when assessing the matchup, doesn’t think it needs to be a blood-and-guts affair. Hill is confident he can make the fight one-way traffic, and he hopes Prochazka can show up on his desired date in Boston to show it.

“I don’t feel like it has to be a war,” Hill said. “I feel like my skill level is vastly past that of his own. I feel like he’s a very physical dude. He’s strong, he’s got some natural physical attributes, but the skill and understanding on the level that I understand this sh*t? He’s not there.

“I was just watching his fights the other day. He’s not that guy. I can’t wait to get him in there. I truly can’t wait to get him in there so he can see what it’s like. It’s going to be funny. I’m going to beat the dog sh*t out that man.”

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Dana White reveals likely timeline, location for Aljamain Sterling vs. Sean O’Malley

Aljamain Sterling isn’t thrilled at the location, after Dana White confirms the expected timeline and city for his Sean O’Malley bout.

NEWARK, N.J. – Dana White says he doesn’t typically make fights the night of an event, but Saturday was an exception.

Following the conclusion of UFC 288 and the faceoff between champion [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] and next title challenger [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag], White gave a few more details about the promotion’s plan.

“Yeah, probably August,” White said, as for a timeline.

During the UFC 288 broadcast, commentator Jon Anik mentioned UFC 292 as being targeted for Aug. 19 in Boston, a location White has repeatedly said in recent weeks will be the docket for the promotion’s summer schedule.

“Probably,” White said when asked if Boston would land the next bantamweight title fight.

Immediately after Saturday’s fight, Sterling indicated he was looking for a September return. When informed of White’s comments as they broke during an interview with TSN, Sterling lightheartedly expressed his disappointment in another east coast fight.

“That’s news to me,” Sterling said. “I don’t want to go to Boston. … Dana, I’ve been trying to fight at the T-Mobile for God knows how long. I want to fight in Vegas. I want to fight in Vegas where it’s nice and hot and go to a pool party. Boston is cool but I want to go back to the west coast.

“… He’s going to be a favorite. He’ll probably be a favorite over there. I know there’s a big Irish crowd over there. Whatever. It is what it is.”

Sterling, 33, rides a nine-fight winning streak into the matchup. After a controversial title-clinching victory over Petr Yan by disqualification, Sterling defeated Yan again before a stoppage win over T.J. Dillashaw and Saturday’s split decision over Cejudo.

O’Malley, 28, has not competed since an October win over Petr Yan as he awaits his first UFC title challenge. He is 4-0 with one no contest in his most recent five outings. Twelve of his 16 professional wins have come inside the distance.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 288.

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