Former undisputed bantamweight champion, Aljamain Sterling has shed light on a run-in with a slew of fans of fellwof former divisional titleholder, Sean O’Malley ahead of his Noche UFC return last weekend — branding them as “a*sholes.
Sterling, who was scheduled to return to action in two week’s time on the main card of UFC 307 in Salt Lake City, has been sidelined from a pivotal featherweight return against Movsar Evloev due to a minor elbow injury suffered during preparation for his clash with the Russian.
However, serving as a cornerman for close friend and teammate, Merab Dvalishvili at the Las Vegas Sphere last weekend, Uniondale grappler, Sterling guided the Georgian to a one-sided unanimous decision win over common-foe, O’Malley.
Aljamain Sterling details run-in with Sean O’Malley fans pre-Noche UFC
And off the back of the win, Serra-Longo MMA staple, Sterling detailed how himself and Dvalishvili were targeted by a group of fans of Montana striker O’Malley ahea of Noche UFC — which left them none too plussed.
“When Merab (Dvalishvili) went on the bus after the Friday evening face-off, we saw a whole bunch of people waving him down, so he got off the bus to go over,” Aljamain Sterling said during an interview with MMAonSiriusXM. “Now, his minions Sch*tty and the other skinny twig were on the other side. I see these guys screaming and yelling, coming all the way back over to be a*holes. I was like, alright guys, the presser’s done, and now you’re in our personal space. I told him, ‘Dude, you’re really close now, and you’re being straight-up disrespectful. I’m right here now, so if you wanna sit behind this, you’re not very far away from me…’
“People have gotten way too comfortable with just being complete a-holes and thinking that there’s nothing wrong with them being a-holes,” Aljamain Sterling continued. W”e’re not in the arena where you can chirp and pay up money, now we’re in our personal space, we’re working and being professional with what we’re trying to do, and you’re literally walking over and being a complete prick. There’s nothing cool about that whatsoever.”