The finals of UFC 292 took place in Boston. It became the most anticipated event of the summer for MMA fans, because Aljamain Sterling, the UFC bantamweight champion, and Sean O’Malley, a contender for the belt with great ambitions, were supposed to compete in the main fight of the evening.
But there was no spectacular confrontation. Aljamain Sterling spent the entire first round actively using his main advantage — his height. He kept his opponent at a distance, did not allow him to get close and start fighting on the ground. Therefore, the round looked lackluster: rare attempts to strike, chaotic movement around the ring without visible results.
In the second round, Aljamain Sterling decided to act more decisively and attack more actively, but made a critical mistake. He attacked O’Malley with a powerful blow, but he deftly dodged and, taking advantage of the moment, dealt a crushing blow to his opponent.
Aljamain Sterling didn’t have time to get up. Sean O’Malley beat him, preventing the confrontation from turning into a fight, until the referee sent him away. The fight ended in the second round by technical knockout and victory for O’Malley. And this is quite strange, because Sterling defended himself despite the fall and could have continued the fight.
In any case, Sean O’Malley’s victory didn’t look impressive. The opponents played on equal terms throughout the first round, and the matter was decided by chance, and not by the endurance and strength of one of the athletes. Therefore, it is obvious that in the near future the current UFC lightweight champion will have to train hard to defend his title. He has many potential opponents who can defeat him.
For example, Petr Yan. He is a former UFC bantamweight champion and is fully capable of challenging the title again. Yes, the athlete had several disappointing defeats in a row. From the same Aljamain Sterling, for example, but he can prepare better and give a good fight. Or Khabib Nurmagomedov’s second cousin. He has not yet fully demonstrated himself, but is already considered a promising and powerful fighter with a great future.
In the end, Aljamain Sterling could compete for the title again. He is in good shape, has an excellent win-loss record, and the technical knockout was more of an unexpected plot twist than the expected ending. Therefore, the confrontation between the champions will again be interesting to watch.
