"Great job by the coach in being attentive" - Diego Lopes sheds light on his finding from Aljamain Sterling and Sean O'Malley's UFC Muted
Diego Lopes recently weighed in on his insights from Aljamain Sterling and Sean O'Malley's UFC Muted episode, exploring their clash at UFC 292.
'Sugar' clinched the bantamweight title with a second-round TKO victory over Sterling in August 2023. Recently, a clip from their fight has gone viral online after the UFC shared a video featuring the commentary booth's audio track.
In the footage from UFC Muted, fans could observe O'Malley's head coach, Tim Welch, mimicking Sterling's corner as he urged, "Aljo, you gotta go," moments before the 'Funk Master' unexpectedly charged forward, leading to his knockout defeat just seconds later.
Check out the video below:
Lopes took to the comments section of ESPN MMA's Instagram post and pointed out how Welch's apparent attentiveness to Sterling's corner, provided a strategic edge that led to the knockout. Lopes wrote:
"Easy. Someone in Aljo's corner yells 'pressure,' so O'Malley's coach just alerted him that it was coming. It takes a lot just to hear 'pressure' at the beginning of the video. Great job by the coach in being attentive and listening to the other corner."
Check out Diego Lopes' comment below:
Following their bout last year, a segment of the MMA community argued that O'Malley's stoppage win occurred due to the referee's premature intervention. They claimed that, after 'Sugar' dodged Sterling's straight left, he retaliated with a right hand to the then-champion's head, causing him to collapse.
Subsequently, O'Malley unleashed a flurry of strikes, including punches and hammer fists, as 'Funk Master' remained on the canvas. Despite enduring significant damage, Sterling remained conscious and appeared to be attempting to get on his feet until referee Marc Goddard stepped in to halt the fight.
Aljamain Sterling dismisses Tim Welch's involvement in UFC 292 fight
After the video of Tim Welch's fabricated corner instructions circulated on social media, it prompted Aljamain Sterling to issue a response. 'Funk Master' addressed the matter in the comments section of ESPN MMA's Instagram post, refuting any suggestion that he was swayed by Welch's voice:
"If yall think Douche Welch is what caused me to rush in, then y'all probably buy those waist-belt abs machines too."
Check out Aljamain Sterling's comment below:
Sterling's close friend and No. 1 bantamweight contender, Merab Dvalishvili, also chimed in on the matter and sent a forceful message to Sean O'Malley and his coach:
"I will smash O’Malley inside the cage and then smash his coach outside of the cage."
Check out Merab Dvalishvili's post below:
Dvalishvili is expected to be the next challenger for 'Sugar's' 135-pound title, with the potential fight slated for a September event at the Las Vegas Sphere.