Aljamain Sterling would love to show Sean O'Malley a healthy version of himself in rematch
Aljamain Sterling would love to show Sean O'Malley a healthy version of himself in rematch
Let the former champ rest. But I would absolutely LOVE to show him what a healthy version of myself would do. He's got great skills but I still know that was 50% version of myself. https://t.co/GIeqUmTGGT — Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) June 8, 2025
Aljamain Sterling is open to running things back with Sean O'Malley – at featherweight.
O'Malley (18-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) lost to bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili (20-4 MMA, 13-2 UFC) for a second time when he was submitted in Saturday's UFC 316 headliner at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
Sterling (24-5 MMA, 16-5 UFC), who lost his bantamweight title to O'Malley by knockout at UFC 292, is adamant that had he been 100 percent healthy, the fight would have gone a different way. Sterling faced O'Malley just three months after retaining his belt against Henry Cejudo in a five-round battle at UFC 288.
"Let the former champ rest. But I would absolutely LOVE to show him what a healthy version of myself would do. He's got great skills but I still know that was 50% version of myself."
Sterling just wants his fair shake. O'Malley entered his first fight against Dvalishvili at UFC 306 with a torn labrum in his hip, which required surgery. He was awarded an immediate rematch at UFC 316, but fell short once again.
Sterling, who has since moved up to featherweight, thinks he was unjustly criticized when he spoke out about his injuries.
"Weird, right? Somehow Sean gets a rematch after saying he wasn't 100%. Him and the company knew I wasn't 100% and I STILL gave him the opportunity to become champ. But it's 'coping' when I say it. Ppl are weird and bias. But if he doesn't plan to come up, then he can retire with the win, and I'm fine with that."
Weird, right? Somehow Sean gets a rematch after saying he wasn't 100%. Him and the company knew I wasn't 100% and I STILL gave him the opportunity to become champ. But it's 'coping' when I say it. Ppl are weird and bias. But if he doesn't plan to come up, then he can retire with… https://t.co/n40zKvHQv5 — Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) June 8, 2025
Prior to UFC 316, O'Malley's head coach Tim Welch said that a potential move up to featherweight is "definitely possible" down the line. However, it is unknown what O'Malley's next move will be after losing to Dvalishvili in a title fight for the second-straight time.
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