Aljamain Sterling's UFC bantamweight title reign began as a point of contention for those who didn't view him as a legitimate champion. Sterling himself was disappointed with the way he won the belt after then-champion Petr Yan landed an illegal knee against him and was disqualified during their title fight at UFC 259 on March 6, 2021.
at TD Garden in Boston,"Funk Master" should be more than pleased with his championship résumé. And the fans who aren't are simply just haters. Because not only did Sterling go on to beat Yan in the rematch, he's now racked up enough wins to be regarded by some —A loss Saturday would of course put that mythical title in question, but there's no doubt Sterling is one of the best to do it in the UFC's 135-pound division.
Unfortunately for those who enjoy watching fighters compete at the top of their respective division for years on end, a win by Sterling on Saturday would likely be the end of his bantamweight career as he's set his sights on moving up to featherweight. Sterling has said he's outgrown 135 pounds and struggles to make weight. Plus, he wants to make room for his close friend and training partner Merab Dvalishvili, who is ranked ahead of O'Malley at No.
On the other side, O'Malley doesn't figure to make things easy for Sterling. At 5-foot-11, he's four inches taller than Sterling with a one-inch reach advantage. He lands 2.65 more strikes per minute than Sterling and he's much more explosive. In his 10 fights in the UFC, he's earned seven performance bonuses including four Performance of the Night awards. So while some may consider O'Malley a hype job, he's proven that's certainly not the case.
Lemos is a hard puncher and an outstanding finisher. She's 13-2-1 overall in MMA and 7-2 in the UFC. She's won 11 of her 13 fights by finish, with eight of those coming by knockout. Against Zhang, though, she's going against a different type of athlete. Weili is a -320 favorite to defend her title. Lemos is +250.UFC 292 - Main card, odds
• Bantamweight championship: Aljamain Sterling vs. Sean O'Malley • Women's strawweight championship: Zhang Weili vs. Amanda Lemos • Welterweight: Neal Magny vs. Ian Machado Garry • Bantamweight: Da'Mon Blackshear vs. Mario Bautista • Bantamweight: Marlon Vera vs. Pedro Munhoz • Middleweight: Chris Weidman vs. Brad Tavares • Middleweight: Gregory Rodrigues vs. Denis Tiuliulin • Lightweight: Austin Hubbard vs. Kurt Holobaugh • Bantamweight: Brad Katona vs.
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Read more »
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Read more »