Aljamain Sterling dismisses claims that Sean OโMalley looked flat at UFC 306. OโMalley lost his title gold to Aljoโs close friend and teammate Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306 Pay-per-view. With how much they have clashed, Sterling has ample room to tread on the narrative. However, the former champion has rubbished the idea.
Sean OโMalley got taken down six whopping times (6/15 takedown attempts) by Merab Dvalishvili at the Sphere. UFC CEO Dana White told the post-fight media scrum that the โSuga Showโ looked flat and unusually underperforming. However, it was not on the tone of (per usual) safeguarding the prizefighter. It later came to be that โSugaโ had a dislocated left labrum on his hip.
I know people are trying to say that OโMalley looked flat. I think thatโs the narrative that Dana was trying to push, โฆIf Iโm being fair, if you look at his fights, his track record of all the guys heโs beaten, they were all punching bags for the most part. I give credit where due. He was well prepared, but to say he looked flat makes no sense.
Aljamain Sterling via YT (@FunkMasterUFC)
Aljamain Sterling does not want to see a credit snub from his good friend. In his opinion, OโMalleyโs career has been largely a fight against stationary targets. His signature bluff of shaking to the other side for long shots in range or lean-ins is what cost Aljo. Trying to hit the feints and hip twitches in retaliation/separation is good, but nothing against the cardio โMachineโ.
Sterling lost his bantamweight title to OโMalley via knockout and subsequent ground-and-pound at UFC 292 PPV. Hence, he was able to give Dvalishvili some insight into how to counter him. โFunk Masterโ gives credit where credit is due for his acute shot selection and feints. Although Sterling can respect OโMalley, he still veers toward his friend to get a clean chance.
Aljamain Sterling calls on to level the playing field for Merab Dvalishvili
OโMalley took gold at UFC 292 PPV, beating out Aljamain Sterling. He was only the second man to knock out Sterling in the UFC competition. The result kickstarted Sean OโMalleyโs run, ending โFunk Masterโ and his three-defence title reign dance. Ever since, the duo has maintained some moniker of animosity.
First, there was the matter of it being an early stoppage in reaction to OโMalleyโs fateful right and hammers. The reality TVย Rokuโsย Fight Inc: Inside the UFCย also went viralย when it came to be that head litigator/CBO Hunter Campbell and White pleaded with Aljo to take the fight without extensive healing during camp.
A defiant Aljo and his friendship with Merab Dvalishvili also received critical judgment when the UFC bossman shamed him for jeopardizing his career and not fighting each other. While the Georgian fighter earned the title gold, Sterling is convinced that OโMalley had gotten information about UFC 306 before Dvalishvili.
Merab finally got his fair shake. He got a fair fight, although OโMalley probably knew about the Sphere fight before Merab did and had more time to prepare, โฆWhen they announced it for Merab from what I remember, they called him, it was exactly eight weeksโฆNow come on, once again weโre trying to put this ball in the court where he [Merab] has to now scramble around.
Aljamain Sterling further said
The 35-year fighter said his friend had to scramble for a training partner the last seven weeks in camp. Even coach John Wood had some pent-up anticipation about being too late into camp to prepare for Sean OโMalleyโs speed and shot.
OโMalley landed 220 significant strikes at his Maimi Pay-per-view defense in March (UFC 299). This alone is a high stat for any title fight in UFC competition and won him an ESPY. Sterling says Dvalishvili should have had his fair share of time to prep for it.