UFC champion gives his prediction for Aljamain Sterling v. Sean O’Malley at UFC 292

Alexander Volkanovski recently weighed in on the highly anticipated Sean O’Malley vs. Aljamain Sterling title fight. The UFC featherweight champion broke down the stylistic differences between the two contenders and shared his prediction for the fight.

O’Malley is set to challenge Sterling for the undisputed bantamweight title at UFC 292 at the TD Garden in Boston this weekend. After a highly controversial win over Petr Yan at UFC 280, ‘Suga’ will face the toughest test of his career against the reigning 135-pound champion. 

While Sean O’Malley is widely considered among the best strikers in the UFC today, many have questioned his ability to hold his own against an excellent grappler like Aljamain Sterling. In this classic striker vs. grappler matchup, Alexander Volkanovski is leaning toward the grappler. 

In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, ‘The Great’ shared his predictions for the matchup. Predicting Sterling to defend his title for the fourth consecutive time, he said:

“I’m leaning towards Aljamain because I just think that, that wrestling and that control is going to eventually get there. I’d have to lean toward him… I feel like it could definitely be a TKO for Sean O’Malley because his striking is that good, but I will lean toward Aljamain. I think he has got a safer way to victory… We know he’s gonna turn up. This is a massive fight for him.”

Catch Volkanovski’s comments below (6:50):

Aljamain Sterling confident of a victory against Sean O’Malley at UFC 292

Aljamain Sterling isn’t afraid of Sean O’Malley and recently promised to show him levels when they fight at UFC 292. 

There is no love lost between Sterling and O’Malley. The two bantamweights have been at loggerheads for a while now and have exchanged some ruthless barbs on social media. Given their contrasting fighting styles, many are looking forward to seeing the two settle their differences in the octagon. 

While Sean O’Malley is one of the best strikers in the UFC and poses a major threat to any opponent who slacks, Aljamain Sterling isn’t worried. The ‘Funk Master’ recently predicted an early finish over ‘Suga’ and claimed he’d put O’Malley through the wringer this weekend.

In a recent episode of UFC Embedded, Sterling stated:

“I’m excited about this opportunity, my second main event in a row. They gonna start calling me Aljamain Event after this one… Sean’s a stud, but there’s levels, man. I’m going out there, I’m going to put it on this man from round one. I think it will be a second-round TKO. Henry Cejudo was the last victim. I took him from Triple C to Double C, and I can’t wait to make the UFC Sugar-free.”

Watch the full video below: