Update – O’Malley defeated Sterling by TKO in the second round to win the UFC bantamweight championship
The main event of UFC 292 features a highly anticipated bantamweight title fight between (C) Aljamain Sterling and #2 Sean O’Malley. The main card will begin at 10 p.m. ET live from the TD Garden in Boston on ESPN+PPV. Sterling and O’Malley are expected to hit the octagon around midnight.
Sterling (23-3) enters this one after outlasting Henry Cejudo and earning a split-decision win at UFC 288. The victory extended his win streak to 9, as the “Funk Master” has successfully defended his bantamweight title 3 times. Sterling has wins over Petr Yan (twice), Cory Sandhagen, and T.J. Dillashaw. It’s been quite a stretch of dominance as with each win he seems to get better and better at picking off opponents.
O’Malley (16-1, 1 NC) finally gets his title shot, as in his last fight he defeated Petr Yan by a controversial split decision at UFC 280. “Suga” needs no introduction, known for his lighting-fast strikes and ability to land in bunches, he’s box office. After suffering his first career loss to Marlon Vera in August 2020, O’Malley has reeled off 4 straight wins, 3 coming by knockout.
Sterling is favored to win in this bout with -250 odds at DraftKings Sportsbook. O’Malley carries underdog odds of +205. The favored outcome is a Sterling win by submission at +140. A Sterling decision win follows at +250 and an O’Malley KO win follows at +330.
We’ll be providing live updates throughout the fight with round-by-round scoring until a winner is determined.
Aljamain Sterling vs. Sean O’Malley round-by-round results
Round 1 — Sterling
The definition of a feeling-out round. Neither fighter did much of anything other than some leg kicks. It’s a toss-up due to the inactivity.