Aljamain Sterling shares "funny" response to Sean O'Malley asking Henry Cejudo how he let 'Aljo' take him down "so easy"
Aljamain Sterling responded to Sean O'Malley calling Henry Cejudo out for letting the former UFC bantamweight champion take him down.
In May 2023, Sterling successfully defended his UFC bantamweight title with a split-decision win against Cejudo. During their matchup in the UFC 288 main event, 'Funk Master' took down the Olympic gold medalist four times, while Cejudo returned with three takedowns of his own.
Earlier today, O'Malley made an appearance on Cejudo's podcast with Kamaru Usman, Pound 4 Pound. The reigning bantamweight champion, who defends his title on Saturday at UFC 306, had this to say about the co-hosts:
"Boys, you guys know I'm a very very busy man. I'll keep this short, I came here for two reasons. One, praise to Kamaru [Usman], you're an absolute legend. Two, Henry [Cejudo], how did you let Aljo [Sterling] take you down so easy? You're welcome."
The video of O'Malley's comments was posted on Instagram, leading to Sterling responding with the following message:
"Funny, but it’s because Aljo had a proper training camp to get ready for Henry "
Aljamain Sterling referenced his fight against Sean O'Malley in August 2023 when the latter became the new UFC bantamweight champion. Sterling claimed he wanted more time to prepare for O'Malley before the UFC pressured him into accepting the matchup, which ended up being his last at 135 pounds.
Check out Aljamain Sterling's comment below:
Watch O'Malley make fun of Cejudo for his fight against Sterling below:
Aljamain Sterling looks to take over featherweight division following bantamweight title run
Following his loss against Sean O'Malley, Aljamain Sterling announced he was moving up to the featherweight division. The former bantamweight king made a statement in his first appearance at 145 pounds when he dominated Calvin Kattar at UFC 300 for a unanimous decision win.
On October 5, number eight-ranked Sterling has an opportunity to enter the featherweight title picture when he faces number six-ranked Movsar Evloev. 'Funk Master' and the undefeated Russian will square off inside the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah at UFC 307.
With a win, Sterling could further prove he's a legitimate contender in the featherweight division run by Ilia Topuria.