The champion of the bantamweight division Aljamain Sterling thinks Sean O’Malley is getting special treatment.
As the champion of the bantamweight division, it is Aljamain Sterling’s job to keep a watchful eye on the fighters below him. He is the king of the mountain and there are a number of other fighters looking to dethrone him.
Especially in the bantamweight division the top five is muddied with talent. There are several fighters that could possibly be next for the champion, but one, in particular, may be receiving a helping hand on his climb to the peak.
Sterling believes that Sean O’Malley is getting the red carpet laid out for him in the 135-pound division.
He feels that O’Malley is getting preferential matchups and the UFC is doing him some favors by not having him face wrestlers. Sterling likens this treatment to that of another UFC star, Conor McGregor.
“He is literally getting the McGregor treatment on the way to a title shot,” Sterling said on his YouTube channel. “This fight gives him the McGregor treatment in terms of stylistic matchups. He has not fought a single grappler outside of Chito, but Chito is not really a grappler. He’s a jiu-jitsu-based fighter who is willing to stand on the feet and if the fight hits the ground he is looking to throw elbows and look for submissions.”
Aljamain Sterling thinks Sean O’Malley’s fight against Petr Yan Is A Win-Win Situation
O’Malley is getting his toughest opponent yet in his next outing. He will be taking on the former champion Petr Yan in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 22. Sterling feels that although, yes, this is a tough matchup on paper, it is still favorable to O’Malley. Sterling has faced Yan twice in a row now and knows firsthand what kind of fighter he is in the cage.
“It’s like Conor McGregor fighting Chad Mendes on short notice,” Sterling explained. “It’s one of those things, like here is the layup, I’m throwing it against the backboard, all you have to do is put it in the rim. It’s a win, win.”
The Yan vs. O’Malley fight will be the same night as Sterling’s next title defense against TJ Dillashaw. He will have a chance to see just how each man stacks up and then perhaps one of them will be next for Sterling should he win his fight. O’Malley is one of the most popular fighters on the roster and the fact that he gets this treatment lends itself to the fact that people want to see him.
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