Aljamain Sterling vs Sean O'Malley: Preview, Where to Watch and Betting Odds

A Bantamweight Championship bout between current champion Aljamain Sterling and Sean O'Malley headlines UFC 292. Sterling was the first to win a UFC championship by disqualification when he won the title from Petr Yan after the former champ was disqualified for hitting him with an intentional illegal knee in the fourth round of their fight. Aljamain Sterling was not too keen about fighting again, so soon after going the distance with Henry Cejudo on May 6, 2023, at UFC 288. He won the brutal split decision but was immediately mandated to fight Sean O'Malley by the promotion. UFC 292 will be held in Boston on August 29, 2023.

MMA: UFC Bantamweight Championship

Location: TD Garden, Boston Massachusetts

Where to watch: PPV

Date: 29.08.2023. 05.00

A win for "Funk Master" against Sean O'Malley will make it ten wins on the bounce and a further extension of his record for the most consecutive defense of the UFC Bantamweight title. The kid who turned to wrestle to avoid the gangsterism in his neighborhood in New York has risen to the top of the Bantamweight division in the UFC. Debuting in the promotion in 2014, Aljamain Sterling took the title from Petr Yan on March 6, 2021, at UFC 259. The 33-year-old has since defended it three times, breaking the record for the most consecutive UFC Bantamweight title defenses with a split decision over Henry Cejudo last May. His dominance of the division is reflected in his résumé, which includes the most wins in UFC Bantamweight division history, the longest win streak in UFC Bantamweight division history, and the most consecutive title defenses in UFC Bantamweight division history. Sterling is number six in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings.

• Age: 33
• Height: 5' 7"
• Reach: 71"
• Record: 23-3

People don't understand how much time I actually put into this sport. Sometimes you could get a little burned out. Sometimes that can take a lot out of you mentally. That's why, after this fight, I had so many things with Henry, so many things planned out that I just wanted to decompress and stop thinking about fighting for once because I do so much to get to the fight and prep myself to get ready for battle mentally.

Aljamain Sterling

28-year-old "Sugar" has only lost once as a professional. Aside from the defeat to Marlon Vera in 2020, the Dana White Contender Series alum has an almost spotless copybook rising up the Bantamweight division to become number two in a few years. Multi-talented, O'Malley has a Brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and regularly competes in Grappling events. He also has one professional boxing bout to his name. His last fight was a split decision win over former bantamweight champion Petr Yan in October.

• Age: 28
• Height: 5' 11"
• Reach: 72"
• Record: 23-3

In the early odds available, Aljamain Sterling is the clear favorite with 1.36 odds to win on Bet 365. 3.25 odds is the price for the upset on the same sportsbook. On MarathonBet, it is 1.34 odds for the champ and 3.20 odds for the challenger. 1XBET is 1.31 odds for Sterling and 3.21 for Sean O'Malley.