"The ref had to tell you to stfu" - When Aljamain Sterling accused Sean O'Malley's coach Tim Welch of 'crossing the line' during title fight
Tim Welch has been at loggerheads with his student 'Sugar' Sean O'Malley's rivals, Aljamain Sterling and Merab Dvalishvili. Sterling notably lambasted Welch earlier this year.
Welch (14-6 MMA) hasn't fought since a second-round submission defeat in a welterweight bout in Aug. 2017. Meanwhile, O'Malley dethroned Aljamain Sterling via second-round TKO to win the UFC bantamweight championship at UFC 292 (Aug. 2023).
Subsequently, a 'UFC Muted' video clip from the fight showed Welch yelling, "'Aljo,' you gotta go!" Some fans believed Welch's instructions tricked Sterling into rushing into range and getting TKO'd.
Regardless, Aljamain Sterling suggested that Tim Welch's instructions didn't cause the stoppage but were disrespectful. Sterling moved up to featherweight, whereas his cornerman-cum-friend Dvalishvili eventually earned a bantamweight title shot against O'Malley.
In May 2024, Dvalishvili promised to "smash" Welch and O'Malley. Welch responded by mocking Dvalishvili's nose again. Sterling defended his friend by tweeting:
"Bro dont even fight anymore and be talking sh**, clout chasing. That sh** might get both ya che*ks cl*pped Ya Diddy. Let your fighter talk sh**, you don't scrap anymore Jimmy neutron."
Tim Welch hit back at Aljamain Sterling by tweeting that he wasn't talking trash but simply stating facts.
Check out their tweets' screenshots below:
Sterling advised Tim Welch to refrain from engaging in verbal warfare against his fighter's opponents. The ex-UFC bantamweight champion recounted his championship fight against O'Malley wherein he felt Welch crossed the line:
"Cap. You talked hella sh** during my fight with Sean. The ref had to tell you to stfu multiple times. I wanted to slap you in between rounds and I regret not taking the fine for that. You should know better as a former fighter and a current coach. You constantly talk sh** about merab. Let Sean talk sh**, you don't need to be chiming in on the sh** talk unless you want the problems as well. It's that simple bro."
Welch later refuted Sterling's accusations and recognized 'The Machine' as a "dangerous" fighter. He claimed to have mentioned Dvalishvili's nose during an interview while answering which part they'll target when he fights O'Malley.
Nevertheless, Sterling warned that the jibes were pushing Dvalishvili to fight Welch. 'Funk Master' recalled his and Dvalishvili's feuds with former two-division champion Henry Cejudo, alluding to Cejudo's team engaging in trash talk and almost fighting them. Sterling signaled that Welch should leave the fighting to Dvalishvili and O'Malley.
Check out their X exchanges' screenshots below:
Jon Anik addresses the Tim Welch- Merab Dvalishvili incident after UFC 306
Merab Dvalishvili defeated Sean O'Malley via unanimous decision to become the new UFC bantamweight champion at UFC 306 (Sept. 14, 2024). The fight's chaotic opening moments saw Dvalishvili trade barbs with Welch who was in O'Malley's corner.
Referee Herb Dean briefly paused the action, warning all parties to stop their mid-fight conversations. Dvalishvili later alleged that Welch used the same tactic as the Sterling fight to benefit O'Malley.
On the Anik & Florian Podcast YouTube channel, UFC play-by-play commentator Jon Anik explained that corner persons are allowed to talk to their fighter but not to the opponent. Defending Dean's officiating, Anik said:
"There was a little bit of a dust-up at the beginning of the fight between Tim Welch and Merab Dvalishvili ... Corners are not allowed to talk to their opponents."
Watch Anik's assessment below: