UFC president Dana White confirmed at a press conference after UFC 288 in Newark, USA, that lightweight champion Aljamain Sterling will make his next defense against Sean O'Malley.
Dana White
Yes, Sean O'Malley is the next one for the title fight. I think that fight will take place sometime in August in Boston.
As you may recall, Sterling defended his bantamweight title for the third time on the morning of May 7 in the main event of UFC 288, defeating Henry Cejudo by split decision.
Sterling, 33, defeated T.J. Dillashaw by TKO in the second round at UFC 280 in October 2022. Sterling, 33, has 23 wins and three losses.
O'Malley, 28, defeated Russia's Petr Yan by unanimous decision at UFC 280 in October, taking the No. 1 ranking in the promotion's bantamweight division. O'Malley has 16 wins, one loss and one fight ruled no contest.
Sterling First UFC Bantamweight to Win Nine Fights in a Row UFC 288 Bonus Winners Announced UFC 288 Results Announced: Sterling vs Cejudo