Sean O'Malley "a fish out on land" when it comes to grappling, says Aljamain Sterling
Aljamain Sterling's next title defense will come against Sean O'Malley. While the bout has not officially been announced, it is reportedly being targeted for August. 'Funk Master' recently revealed that he doesn't believe 'Sugar' will be a real threat due to his lack of grappling skills.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani of The MMA Hour, the bantamweight champion stated:
"To drag a guy like O'Malley down, what's this guy going to do to me? Really? I'm not trying to be disrespectful. It's a subtle jab, but it's the truth. It's a fight, anything could happen, but at the end of the day, I think we all know what his kryptonite is, and it's unproven in the octagon. We've seen him one time on his back and he was like a fish out on land."
Aljamain Sterling added:
"'Chito' smashed him and sent him home. I think 'Chito' might have hit him one time, and his eyes rolled back in his head. That's not a good sign. He's got a tiny head. He's tall, he talks about my weight but he's skinny, he's a twig. He got hit one time and he was out, so it lets me have a little bit more confidence. I don't think you can develop a chin over time. I hit him squarely, take him down, that's fight is as good as over, probably in one."
Check out Aljamain Sterling's full comments on Sean O'Malley below:
Aljamain Sterling talks Sean O'Malley.
#TheMMAHour https://t.co/qEflTcBI6O
Sterling will look to defend the bantamweight title for a record-extending fourth consecutive time. Meanwhile, O'Malley will enter the octagon for the first time since his controversial split decision victory over Petr Yan at UFC 280.
Sean O'Malley recently shared his prediction for Aljamain Sterling title fight
Sean O'Malley will have the opportunity to silence his doubters when he faces Aljamain Sterling for the bantamweight title. Speaking with The Schmo, the No.2-ranked bantamweight revealed that he believes he will be able to do just that, stating:
"His awkwardness is effective but I think it will be the downfall of him because I am a sniper. You can't walk forward like that with me and cross your feet with your chin in the air because I will find it and I will find it often. I’m not saying I’m gonna go out there and one-shot him, put his lights out in the first. I just believe that I will hit him over and over and over again to where he will fall."
Check out Sean O'Malley's prediction for his title fight below (starting at the 4:30 mark):
Although O'Malley believes that he will find success against Sterling, he did label the current champion as the greatest bantamweight of all time. 'Funk Master' has the most consecutive title defenses, most wins, longest win streak, most control time, and most total strikes in divisional history.