Sean O'Malley predicts submission finish in potential title clash between Henry Cejudo and Aljamain Sterling
With the return of Henry Cejudo set to shake things up at bantamweight, Sean O'Malley has responded to fight rumors. He insisted that Aljamain Sterling will catch the former two-division champion in a submission if they fight next.
'Triple C' has announced his intentions on returning and claiming an instant title fight, which now looks likely to happen as the UFC is planning on him fighting for the 135lb strap. The Olympic gold medalist never officially lost his belt after he retired on top of the sport following his title defense against Dominick Cruz.
In a recent interview with Michael Bisping, Sean O'Malley gave his prediction for a potential bantamweight title bout between Aljamain Sterling and Henry Cejudo. He claimed that the Olympian's dedication to the sport will likely play a huge factor:
"To be honest, I think Aljo probably submits Henry. Who knows how hard Henry's been training? You know, these last few years he had a baby, he clearly wasn't in good shape. Every time you saw him at the fights he looked fat, drunk, so I don't know. I think Aljo probably chokes him, I don't know what's taken so long for them to book that fight."
Aljamain Sterling currently finds himself on an all-time run inside the octagon. He's won eight straight fights and beaten some of the best fighters the division has ever seen.
Despite his dominance, the champion could be in trouble if elite wrestler Henry Cejudo returns for his throne. While 'The Messenger' clearly has an advantage in the wrestling department, it is 'Aljo' who is arguably the much better grappler, something the challenger must watch out for.
Check out what Sean O'Malley had to say about the potential bantamweight title fight in the video below:
How does the rumored title fight affect Sean O'Malley?
Sean O'Malley put on a fight-of-the-year contender alongside Petr Yan earlier this year and earned himself the #1 spot in the bantamweight rankings.
As he sits on the sidelines without an opponent, 'Sugar' has claimed that he has been put through wrestling drills in training in preparation for a title fight.
With the promotion yet to book the 135lb championship clash, O'Malley may need to stay active if he wants to be considered the next rightful #1 contender.