“Makes no sense,” Sean O’Malley gets unlikely support from Aljamain Sterling on ‘flat’ performance criticism for UFC 306 loss

Aljamain Sterling: Saying speedy and skilled Sean O'Malley looked flat against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306 'makes no sense.'

“Makes no sense,” Sean O’Malley gets unlikely support from Aljamain Sterling on ‘flat’ performance criticism for UFC 306 loss

Aljamain Sterling defends 'flat' Sean O'Malley for UFC 306 title loss (Source: IMAGO/X)

Aljamain Sterling dismisses claims that Sean O’Malley looked flat at UFC 306. O’Malley lost his title gold to Aljo’s close friend and teammate Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306 Pay-per-view. With how much they have clashed, Sterling has ample room to tread on the narrative. However, the former champion has rubbished the idea.

Sean O’Malley got taken down six whopping times (6/15 takedown attempts) by Merab Dvalishvili at the Sphere. UFC CEO Dana White told the post-fight media scrum that the ‘Suga Show’ looked flat and unusually underperforming. However, it was not on the tone of (per usual) safeguarding the prizefighter. It later came to be that ‘Suga’ had a dislocated left labrum on his hip.

I know people are trying to say that O’Malley looked flat. I think that’s the narrative that Dana was trying to push, …If I’m being fair, if you look at his fights, his track record of all the guys he’s beaten, they were all punching bags for the most part. I give credit where due. He was well prepared, but to say he looked flat makes no sense.
Aljamain Sterling via YT (@FunkMasterUFC)
YouTube video

Aljamain Sterling does not want to see a credit snub from his good friend. In his opinion, O’Malley’s career has been largely a fight against stationary targets. His signature bluff of shaking to the other side for long shots in range or lean-ins is what cost Aljo. Trying to hit the feints and hip twitches in retaliation/separation is good, but nothing against the cardio ‘Machine’.

FS Video

Sterling lost his bantamweight title to O’Malley via knockout and subsequent ground-and-pound at UFC 292 PPV. Hence, he was able to give Dvalishvili some insight into how to counter him. ‘Funk Master’ gives credit where credit is due for his acute shot selection and feints. Although Sterling can respect O’Malley, he still veers toward his friend to get a clean chance.

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O’Malley took gold at UFC 292 PPV, beating out Aljamain Sterling. He was only the second man to knock out Sterling in the UFC competition. The result kickstarted Sean O’Malley’s run, ending ‘Funk Master’ and his three-defence title reign dance. Ever since, the duo has maintained some moniker of animosity.

Aljamain Sterling believes Merab Dvalishvili needs fair shake as champ
Aljamain Sterling believes Merab Dvalishvili needs fair shake as champ (Source: X/boxemag.com)

First, there was the matter of it being an early stoppage in reaction to O’Malley’s fateful right and hammers. The reality TV Roku’s Fight Inc: Inside the UFC also went viral when it came to be that head litigator/CBO Hunter Campbell and White pleaded with Aljo to take the fight without extensive healing during camp.

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A defiant Aljo and his friendship with Merab Dvalishvili also received critical judgment when the UFC bossman shamed him for jeopardizing his career and not fighting each other. While the Georgian fighter earned the title gold, Sterling is convinced that O’Malley had gotten information about UFC 306 before Dvalishvili.

Merab finally got his fair shake. He got a fair fight, although O’Malley probably knew about the Sphere fight before Merab did and had more time to prepare, …When they announced it for Merab from what I remember, they called him, it was exactly eight weeks…Now come on, once again we’re trying to put this ball in the court where he [Merab] has to now scramble around.
Aljamain Sterling further said
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The 35-year fighter said his friend had to scramble for a training partner the last seven weeks in camp. Even coach John Wood had some pent-up anticipation about being too late into camp to prepare for Sean O’Malley’s speed and shot.

O’Malley landed 220 significant strikes at his Maimi Pay-per-view defense in March (UFC 299). This alone is a high stat for any title fight in UFC competition and won him an ESPY. Sterling says Dvalishvili should have had his fair share of time to prep for it.