Lamar Jackson, Robert Griffin III left stunned as Sean O'Malley knocks out Aljamain Sterling in UFC 292
At UFC 292, a new star was seemingly born, as Sean O'Malley knocked out Aljamain Sterling to become the new UFC bantamweight champion, impressing the likes of Lamar Jackson and Robert Griffin III.
Sterling and O'Malley had been destined to cross paths ever since they won their respective bouts at last year's UFC 280. The two had been initially favored to clash at May's UFC 288, but the Contender Series alum initially declined, so Sterling fought former champion Henry Cejudo instead. After that fight, O'Malley entered the Octagon and confronted the then-champion, and the fight was booked soon enough.
After a somewhat tepid first round marked by prodding strikes and range estimation, "Suga" struck in the second, when he evaded a straight right by "Funkmaster", knocked him down with a counter right hook, then rained hammerfists until one of them hit his opponent squarely in the jaw and convinced referee Marc Goddard to step in and wave off the bout:
Multiple NFL personalities, including Baltimore Ravens quarterback Jackson, were impressed at the finish:
Could Lamar Jackson’s restocked Baltimore Ravens regain the AFC North crown?
The last two Saturdays must have been double delight for Lamar Jackson, as his Ravens edged the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles 20-19 in their preseason opener exactly a week prior. He and star acquisition Odell Beckham Jr. did not play that game; however, they must have been happy witnesses as their team looks to continue gaining momentum in a stacked AFC North.
In Jackson’s stead, Josh Johnson and Tyler Huntley combined for 133 yards and two touchdowns. Tylan Wallace and Devin Duvernay caught said touchdowns.
In a mid-game interview, the 2019 MVP praised his new offensive coordinator Todd Monken:
"It's great. I've been sending him plays of stuff I've been seeing, and he's been putting them in practice, and they're working. So it's like, I'm glad he's listening to me, man.
"He's full of expressing what he's got going on in his mind. His mind is everywhere. It's like, 'I love you as a coach right now.' You know, I'm grateful for him."
Even without Jackson on the field, Monken has had a clear influence on the Ravens’ offense. There is now a stronger focus on passing, with Beckham, Duvernay, Nelson Agholor, Rashod Bateman, rookie Zay Flowers, and tight end Mark Andrews expected to play key roles.
The tradeoff, however, has been losing a few key defenders: lineman Calais Campbell (Atlanta Falcons) and backs Marcus Peters (Las Vegas Raiders) and Chuck Clark (New York Jets). However, they did gain linebacker Jadeveon Clowney and cornerbacks Rock Ya-Sin and Ronald Darby, who are expected to complement Pro Bowlers Roquan Smith and Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Williams.
The Ravens’ next preseason game is against the Washington Commanders is on Monday, August 21.