"It’s like the Jake Paul route" - Aljamain Sterling blasts Sean O’Malley for getting "favorable matchups" on his path to UFC belt
Aljamain Sterling does not approve of Sean O'Malley's approach to earning a title shot. While most contenders are expected to get past tough competition before fighting for the championship belt, O'Malley had only one win over a top-five contender before his title fight win over Sterling.
O'Malley's performances in the title fight victories over Sterling and Marlon Vera have laid a lot of questions to rest. However, 'Funk Master' likened his rise to YouTuber-turned-professional boxer Jake Paul. Over the years, Paul has been criticized for fighting favorable opponents to seemingly appear more skilled than he is.
In a recent appearance on the Verse Us with Eric Nicksick podcast, Sterling said:
"I want to see the best of the best compete, no excuses. Enter O'Malley - He fights one ranked guy and gets a title shot...He is supposed to fight me next which would give me enough time to prepare. But instead, they say, 'Oh, Cejudo [Henry] is coming back. We want you to fight him.' In the back of their minds, whoever wins this, they're going to turn him around for August. He knows all this...This is what they wanted to do - Give him the best opportunity that they could to become a world champion by hindering and stacking the deck against his opponent."
He added:
"Now for me, as a competitor, I can never respect that as a man. As a man, as a competitor, it's like the Jake Paul route. Stacking the deck so that you can get these highlights or you can get these favorable matchups and these wins to look as good as you do."
Check out Aljamain Sterling's comments below (32:48):
Aljamain Sterling assures that his criticism does not stem from hatred towards Sean O'Malley
Sean O'Malley won the bantamweight title with a vicious second-round KO win over Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292 in August 2023. As a result, Sterling's comments may come across as biased opinions borne out of hatred towards a rival.
Continuing further in the aforementioned episode of the Verse Us with Eric Nicksick podcast, Sterling said:
"People think I hate Sean O'Malley. I've been singing his praises since he got signed from Dana White's Contender Series. If anyone has been a vocal supporter, it has been me. Talking about him on my podcast, propping him up, giving him love anywhere I could." [34:12]