Following his loss at UFC 306, Sean O’Malley was extremely critiqued after a disappointing efficiency towards Merab Dvalishvili that noticed a combat go to distance in a unanimous choice loss.
Former UFC champion Henry Cejudo labeled Sean O’Malley’s title-capturing win at UFC 292 a ‘fluke’ over former champion Aljamain Sterling.
After defending his first UFC title protection towards Chico Vera at UFC 299, ‘Suga’ was put to the take a look at towards Dvalishvili the place it seemed like a stylistic mismatch all evening. Dvalishvili, who was cornered by Sterling within the combat, has a really comparable fashion to him as they’re each elite wrestlers and grapplers. The distinction is that Merab was capable of unanimously defeat Sean O’Malley whereas Sterling was knocked out within the second spherical through which O’Malley captured bantamweight gold.
Sean O’Malley’s ‘Fluke’ Victory vs. Sterling
Of their podcast Pound 4 Pound, Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo mentioned the combat between O’Malley and Dvalishvili. Throughout the podcast, Cejudo spoke on O’Malley’s victory over Sterling stating, “I nonetheless return and say hey, that combat with Aljamain Sterling, that was a fluke too. Aljamain was nonetheless in that combat…” He even went on to say that, “I did an entire lot higher than Sean after I fought Merab. I imply I took down Merab.”
Regardless of Cejudo labeling O’Malley’s victory over Merab as a fluke, he too additionally misplaced to Dvalishvili through unanimous choice at UFC 298. Throughout the podcast ‘Triple C’ stated he fought Merab with an injured groin however needed to combat him to arrange a title combat towards Sean O’Malley. Each of the previous champions have gone backwards and forwards with one another already on social media and Cejudo thought their animosity might carry in direction of a possible title combat.
It’ll be fascinating to see what’s subsequent for these fighters as O’Malley stated he doubtless gained’t combat for one more 12 months resulting from hip surgical procedure. Merab is projected to combat the No.2 bantamweight in Umar Nurmagomedov whereas Cejudo is sitting at No.6 within the bantamweight rankings.
Sterling lately pulled out of his combat towards Movsar Evloev resulting from damage, however hopes to be again in motion earlier than the tip of the 12 months.
