Boston, MA – UFC bantamweight title challenger Sean O’Malley may be looking to fulfill a destiny he’s seen in his mind before, but he knows he’s still got to get it done in the octagon against champion Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292 on Saturday night.
“It definitely feels like it’s playing out that way, but I still have to get into an octagon with Aljamain Sterling, the best bantamweight of all time and do that magic,” O’Malley told reporters including Cageside Press on Wednesday.
“I still have to go out there and perform and do what it’s all kind of looking like supposed to happen. I’m going to go out there, put his lights out, I’ve still got to go out there and do it.”
To take on the king of the bantamweights in the main event of a major PPV is a tall order, but to knock him out and effectively end the reign is quite another. O’Malley’s belief in himself can’t be shaken regardless of the accolades that Sterling posseses.
“I’m 100% capable of that, and that’s where I get that confidence from,” he said.
Sterling has been universally doubted by fans and fighters alike so it was a bit shocking to hear O’Malley, who is never shy about saying what is on his mind about an opponent, giving him props as to why ‘Funkmaster’ is the greatest 135er of all time.
“Who’s better?,” asked O’Malley. When Dominick Cruz’s name was brought up he had a simple retort.
“I don’t see it.”
Sort of lost in the title talk is the fact that O’Malley hasn’t fought since Oct 2022 when he earned the shot off a split-decision victory over former champion Petr Yan at UFC 280. Many fans and fighters alike felt that Yan should have got the nod in that one, and have made it known in interviews and social media.
“I don’t really care what people say. It doesn’t really affect me. I like kind of being the underdog, being doubted. Going into this fight I don’t really have pressure on my shoulders. He’s the bantamweight GOAT. He’s on a 9-fight win streak and he’s saying I haven’t even earned this shot,” O’Malley said.
“How stupid will he look when I go out there and knock him out? Makes him look real stupid.”
If Sterling is the best bantamweight of all time, and O’Malley is able to get the title off him at UFC 292 on Saturday night, what does that make him?
“I mean I’m not good at math,” he said.
“But you basically just said it.”
Watch the entire media day scrum with Sean O’Malley above. He challenges Aljamain Sterling for the UFC bantamweight title in the main event of UFC 292 on Saturday night in Boston.
