Sean O’Malley received a major vote of confidence from Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) president, Dana White, following his epic TKO win over Aljamain Sterling last weekend at UFC 292 to win the 135-pound title (highlights HERE).
The talented bantamweight contender was a sizeable underdog for his title fight with “Funk Master.” O’Malley had demonstrated high-level striking throughout his Octagon career, but many thought Sterling’s wrestling and submission game would be too much. Surprisingly, O’Malley was able to defend all takedowns and lined himself up for a massive showing in the second round of their matchup.
O’Malley ended up connecting with one of the most perfectly-timed right hands we’ve ever seen. Sterling crashed to the canvas and “Suga” followed up with heavy ground-and-pound. The referee eventually stepped in for the stoppage as O’Malley walked off with the undisputed UFC bantamweight title. It was an incredible moment for the rising UFC superstar.
After the fight, O’Malley celebrated with family members inside of the Octagon, which is something he’s never done before following a UFC victory. He was also presented with the UFC title by White, who uttered a classic one-liner to the new bantamweight king.
“To have everyone in there after the fight still feels kind of like a dream,” said O’Malley in a recent interview with TMZ Sports (shown in the above video player). “That moment Dana is wrapping the belt around he said ‘Kid, you have no idea how much money you’re going to make.’ I said yes I do.
“That’s exactly what he said. I said I do.”
O’Malley, who was already one of the most popular fighters on the UFC roster, is expected to blow up even more after his title-winning TKO over a proven champion like Sterling. It should allow “Suga” to become even a bigger household name and provide himself with more opportunities to bank serious cheddar.