UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling doesn't think the division's No. 2 ranked Sean O'Malley deserves to be in the top of their category.
We are not the same. I've cut my teeth in this sport and in this division... I got the resume. So, I don't think Sean deserves the spot but [it] doesn't matter. I learned a very good quote from somebody, 'It's not about what you deserve. It's about what you can negotiate' ... He's got some real tough challenges ahead of him and he's gonna fail his very first test come August 19.
As you may recall, Sterling and O'Malley will meet in the octagon at UFC 292 in Boston (USA).
Sterling, 33, fought at UFC 288 in May of this year against Henry Cejudo. In this fight Aljamain won by split decision. He has 23 wins and three losses under his belt.
O'Malley, 28, had his last fight against Petr Yan at UFC 280 in October 2022. In this fight Sean won by split decision. He has 16 wins and one loss under his belt.