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Aljamain Sterling opens as huge betting favorite over Sean O’Malley ahead of UFC title fight this year

Undisputed UFC bantamweight champion, Aljamain Sterling has emerged as a massive betting favorite to overcome expected next title challenger, Sean O’Malley later this summer – in search of his fourth championship defense. Sterling, who headlined UFC 288 over the course of last weekend, managed to become the first bantamweight champion in Octagon antiquity to successfully […]

Sterling, who headlined UFC 288 over the course of last weekend, managed to become the first bantamweight champion in Octagon antiquity to successfully lodge three consecutive defenses.

Battling former duel-weight champion, Henry Cejudo, Sterling nabbed a close, back-and-forth split decision (48-47, 48-47, 47-48) decision victory over the Olympic gold medalist.

Prior to his win, Sterling had successfully racked up a decision win over two-time foe and former champion, Petr Yan, as well as stopping former two-time champion, T.J. Dillashaw last October in a successful title knockback.

As for Montana native, O’Malley, the Dana White’s Contender Series alum has been sidelined since that same UFC 280 event back in October, defeating common-foe, Yan in his own close decision success in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Earmarked as the next title challenger following Cejudo’s unsuccessful siege against Sterling, O’Malley met with the defending bantamweight championship inside the Octagon following UFC 288 last weekend.

And with odds opening in the immediate aftermath of the Newark, New Jersey pay-per-view event, Sterling has opened as a considerable betting favorite (-240) to defeat the current #2 ranked contender, O’Malley (+205) ahead of an expected title showdown later this year.

A slew of markets and bookies are offering odds on sports betting events and even fights over the year, with prop bets and outright winning odds available ahead of Serra-Longo MMA staple, Sterling’s expected title fight with O’Malley later this annum.

Initially, UFC president, Dana White confirmed that a potential August 19. title fight at UFC 292 in Boston, Massachusetts was on the cards for Sterling’s next title outing, however, the Uniondale native has distanced himself from a fight on the East Coast once again.

However, the New Yorker has offered a rather comprehensive prediction for his fight with O’Malley later this annum.

“My thoughts on Sean O’Malley; that motherf*cker is frail,” Aljamain Sterling said after UFC 288. “Frail. You think if I can take down a short, stocky guy like Henry (Cejudo) who’s actually a gold medalist (in the Olympics) and actually has good takedown defense – what I am going to do to Sean O’Malley, like?”

“… I guarantee you, we step in there – I think I fold that man in half in one round,” Aljamain Sterling continued. “It’s just gonna look – same thing I did to (Cory) Sandhagen. Go out there and pressure forward, he’s gonna use his footwork, I’m gonna cut off the cage like I was just talking about. Eventually, he’s gonna be on his backfoot, let him throw a stupid kick that I’m gonna catch, I’m gonna bodylock him. And I’m gonna fold him in half like a lawn chair, and that’s gonna be the fight.”

Notably, during his time as undisputed bantamweight champion, Sterling has closed as a betting underdog for both his champion unification rematch with Russian striker, Yan, as well as last weekend’s opponent, Cejudo.

Henry Cejudo calls for August fight with Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 292: ‘I want his head on a plate’

Despite initially flirting with a potential retirement from mixed martial arts competition off the back of his UFC 288 loss to Aljamain Sterling over the course of the weekend, Henry Cejudo has now switched focus to a fight with Sterling’s teammate, #1 ranked contender, Merab Dvalishvili for a UFC 292 card on August 19. Cejudo, […]

Cejudo, a former undisputed bantamweight and flyweight champion under the banner of the UFC, headlined UFC 288 last weekend in a title showdown with 135lbs champion, Sterling, suffering a split decision (47-48, 48-47, 47-48) loss to the Uniondale native in his retirement snapping Octagon return.

Initially flirting with a second mixed martial arts retirement in the immediate aftermath of his loss to Sterling, Cejudo claimed that if he could not make history, he would likely hang up his gloves from competition again.

“Congrats to @funkmastermma (Aljamain Sterling) on a competitive fight,” Henry Cejudo tweeted. “My goal was to finish Aljo, and I fell short. What’s next? If I can’t make history, then I’m not doing this sh*t. I’m addicted to gold and climbing mountains. All I can say is – stay tuned.”

Henry Cejudo calls for summer Octagon return against Merab Dvalishvili

However, hours later, the Olympic gold medalist appears to have experienced a change of heart, offering to fight Dvalishvili at UFC 292 in August – with Boston, Massachusetts currently targeted to host the pay-per-view event.

“This sh*t is far from over!” Henry Cejudo tweeted. “@danawhite I want @MerabDvalishvil (Merab Dvalishvili) head on a plate! #UFCBoston.”

This shit is far from over! @danawhite I want @MerabDvalishvil head on a plate! #ufcboston pic.twitter.com/ME9ygzPaJG

— Henry Cejudo (@HenryCejudo) May 8, 2023

Attempting to work his way back to a title offing it appears, Cejudo and Dvalishvili would likely serve as a backup fight to an expected bantamweight title fight between champion, Aljamain Sterling, and expected incoming title challenger, Sean O’Malley – who are earmarked to fight later this year.

Conor McGregor’s grappling blasted amid USADA rift: ‘You can’t even submit a clean urine sample’

Former duel-weight UFC champion, Conor McGregor has been blasted by fellow former gold holder, Henry Cejudo off the back of their tense back-and-forth over the weekend – with the latter pointing to the Dubliner’s uncertain argument with anti-doping agency, USADA, as well as his apparent lacking grappling ability. McGregor, a former undisputed lightweight and featherweight […]

McGregor, a former undisputed lightweight and featherweight champion under the banner of the promotion, has yet to return to the Octagon since headlining UFC 264 back in July of 2021.

Suffering a fractured left tibia and fibula in the main event slot, Conor McGregor suffered an opening round doctor’s stoppage TKO loss to arch-rival, Dustin Poirier – succumbing to a second consecutive loss for the first time in his professional mixed martial arts career.

Expected to make a UFC return before the end of this year in an earmarked welterweight fight with fellow The Ultimate Fighter 31 coach, Michael Chandler, McGregor poked fun at Cejudo’s unsuccessful bid to reclaim bantamweight gold at UFC 288 over the weekend.

Siding with current undisputed bantamweight champion, Aljamain Sterling, Crumlin striker, McGregor offered some coaching advice to Olympic gold medalist, Cejudo – having claimed he looked like a “stripper” during his main event return.

Henry Cejudo hits out at Conor McGregor off the back of his UFC 288 defeat

Now taking aim at McGregor in response, Cejudo both mocked the ex-two-weight champion’s grappling ability, and questioned if he was a clean athlete amid continued speculation.

“Hey @TheNotoriousMMA (Conor McGregor) your grappling is so bad you can’t event submit a clean urine sample. I’ve seen more intimidating men on a can of Bud Light,” Henry Cejudo tweeted.

Hey @TheNotoriousMMA Your grappling is so you bad you can’t even submit a clean urine sample. I’ve seen more intimidating men on a can of Bud Light. https://t.co/ElOA9if7oJ

— Henry Cejudo (@HenryCejudo) May 8, 2023

Without a victory since headlining UFC 246 back in January 2020, McGregor’s most recent win came in the form of a 40-second TKO stoppage of former lightweight title challenger and incoming UFC Hall of Fame inductee, Donald Cerrone at the welterweight limit in a main event clash.

Henry Cejudo flirts with retirement amid UFC 288 loss: ‘If I can’t make history, I’m not doing this sh*t’

Former undisputed UFC bantamweight and flyweight champion, Henry Cejudo has once again flirted with a potential second retirement from professional mixed martial arts competition, off the back of a split decision defeat against current undisputed bantamweight best, Aljamain Sterling in his Octagon return over the weekend. Cejudo, a former duel-weight champion and Olympic gold medalist […]

Cejudo, a former duel-weight champion and Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling, snapped a three-year retirement from MMA over the course of the weekend, headlining UFC 288 against Uniondale native, Sterling in Newark, New Jersey.

Dropping a close, competitive split decision (48-47, 47-48, 47-48) defeat to the Serra-Longo MMA staple, Cejudo remained immediately coy on his fighting future in the sport.

“I just don’t know Joe (Rogan), I just don’t know,” Henry Cejudo said following UFC 288. “You tell me. It was close but Aljamain (Sterling) did his jo, he got the victory. It sucks man. I hate losing but it’s also been three years. I just don’t know where to take it from here, Joe. I’m a little confused right now. Whether I continue, it’s like Ricky Bobby, if I’m not first, I’m last. If I can’t beat Alja, my biggest goal was to go to 145 pounds. If I can’t get the victory over him then I just know where that puts me.”

Henry Cejudo uncertain on future following UFC 288 decision defeat

Addressing his fighting future once again on his official Twitter account, Los Angeles-born wrestler, Cejudo claimed that if he can’t “make history”, he would likely consider a second retirement from the sport.

Video – Sean O’Malley’s jacket stolen by Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 288 during Octagon altercation

Top-ranked bantamweight contenders Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili nearly got into a brawl of their own at UFC 288 after ‘The Machine’ decided to try on O’Malley’s jacket without permission. In the evening’s main event, 135-pound champion Aljamain Sterling successfully defended his title, scoring a closely-contested split decision win over the returning Olympic gold medalist, […]

In the evening’s main event, 135-pound champion Aljamain Sterling successfully defended his title, scoring a closely-contested split decision win over the returning Olympic gold medalist, Henry Cejudo. Following the contest, Sean O’Malley entered the Octagon and engaged in a heated face-off with ‘Funk Master.’ As things began to escalate, O’Malley removed his jacket which ended up in the hands of division standout Merab Dvalishvili who was in Sterling’s corner during the evening’s headliner.

Not one to miss out on an opportunity, Dvalishvili threw on the jacket and climbed to the top of the cage, showing off his newly acquired swag.

Merab Dvalishvili Reacts to Altercation with Sean O’Malley

‘Sugar’ Sean O’Malley was far from entertained and had to be restrained by officials inside the Octagon before Dvalishvili returned the jacket to its rightful owner. Backstage, Dvalishvili commented on the incident in a video clip which you can see below:

With Sean O’Malley sitting as the No. 2 ranked contender in the division, he is expected to be the next man to challenge Aljamain Sterling for the 135-pound crown. During their heated exchange, O’Malley and Sterling appeared to agree on a September setting for their bantamweight clash. That event would likely be UFC 293 though no official announcements have been made.

Sugar’ earned his spot near the top of the division after besting former UFC champion Petr Yan in a highly-debatable split decision win last year. The controversial victory extended O’Malley’s streak to four in a row and a winner in six of his last seven bouts. ‘Funk Master’ scored his third-straight title defense with the win over Cejudo. That extended his current win streak to nine dating back to 2018.

Aljamain Sterling predicts quick win over Sean O’Malley following UFC 288: ‘I fold that man in half in one round’

Expected to share the Octagon with surging division contender, Sean O’Malley off the back of another successful title defense at UFC 288 last night, undisputed bantamweight champion, Aljamain Sterling has issued a confident prediction for an earmarked clash this summer. Headlining UFC 288 last night in Newark, New Jersey, Sterling became the first bantamweight champion […]

Headlining UFC 288 last night in Newark, New Jersey, Sterling became the first bantamweight champion in promotional antiquity to secure three consecutive successful title defenses, besting the returning former duel-weight champion, Henry Cejudo in a close, hard-fought split decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47) triumph at the Prudential Center.

Meeting with Montana native, O’Malley in the Octagon following his win over Cejudo, Sterling welcomed a title fight against the Dana White’s Contender Series alum this summer, however, shot down the idea of a UFC 292 clash on August 19. in a planned Boston, Massachusetts event.

“That is news to me, man – I dont’t wanna go to Boston,” Aljamain Sterling said. “Dana (White), I’ve been trying to fight at the T-Mobile [Arena] for God know’s how long. Can we just fight in [Las] Vegas?”

“I wanna fight in Vegas where it’s nice and hot, go to a pool party,” Aljamain Sterling explained. “Boston’s cool, but, you know, I wanna go back to the West Coast. And he’s (Sean O’Malley) gonna be a [fan] favorite – he’s gonna be a favorite over there. I know there’s a big Irish crowd over there. So, whatever, it is what it is.”

Aljamain Sterling predicts one-sided victory over Sean O’Malley this summer

Providing a prediction for what could prove to be a blockbuster title offing, Sterling expects to force the issue against O’Malley inside just one round.

“My thoughts on Sean O’Malley; that motherf*cker is frail,” Aljamain Sterling told assembled media after UFC 288. “Frail. You think if I can take down a short, stocky guy like Henry (Cejudo) who’s actually a gold medalist (in the Olympics) and actually has good takedown defense – what I am going to do to Sean O’Malley, like?”