Following Sean O’Malley’s recent loss via submission to Merab Dvalishvili, Aljamain Sterling respectfully stated his desire for a future rematch with O’Malley in the featherweight division, once “Sugar” has recovered and taken some time off.
Sterling was present at UFC 316, cornering Dvalishvili during his successful bantamweight title defense against O’Malley in their main event rematch. A major discussion point before and after UFC 316 centered on O’Malley’s potential future, particularly if he lost again to Dvalishvili: would he remain at 135 lbs seeking a rare third title shot, or explore a move up to 145 lbs?
Sterling, who transitioned to featherweight himself after losing his bantamweight title to O’Malley at UFC 292 in August 2023, believes O’Malley could find success in the higher weight class.
“I think Sean would perform very well at 145, and this isn`t just me saying that because I want the rematch, which is obvious,” Sterling told MMA Fighting. “His speed and reach would translate effectively. He`d also be able to lift a bit more to gain strength. The main challenge at 145 is the presence of strong grapplers who already possess that skill set.”
He elaborated, “There are more grappling-heavy fighters he would encounter, like Movsar Evloev, myself, Chepe Mariscal, or Steve Garcia when he gets you down. Lerone Murphy isn`t primarily a grappler, Bryce Mitchell is moving down, and obviously Ilia Topuria is at 155 now. But there`s definitely more depth in grappling at 145. Even Youssef Zalal is a decent grappler, as is David Onama from top position. Ultimately, it depends on what Sean wants to do.”
Sterling concluded on O`Malley`s potential, “I do think he`d have success. Would it match his success at 135? It`s hard to say, as opponents there are smaller in terms of reach. But his athleticism and fight IQ are good enough that he would do relatively well at 145. The weigh cut is also a factor. I don`t know how much it affects him, but for me, being super lean for 135 was draining. I`m even lighter now than when I fought at bantamweight.”
Watching the UFC 316 main event live from the corner and reviewing it afterward, Sterling felt there wasn`t a significant difference in O’Malley’s performance compared to their first meeting, attributing this primarily to Dvalishvili’s exceptional showing.
When a fan suggested a featherweight rematch between them, Sterling responded favorably, but stressed it should only happen when O’Malley is in the right mental state. Sterling expressed surprise at the public backlash he received for this suggestion.
“Yeah, I was surprised, but that`s how it goes,” Sterling remarked. “People are people, and they`re likely passionate O’Malley fans. I understand wanting to defend your favorite fighter, but I don`t think I said anything offensive or inappropriate.”
He added, “That chapter with O’Malley is essentially closed for me. If he`s content ending it with that win, both of us know the situation was heavily unfavorable to me. I took the fight and rolled the dice, and it didn`t pay off. I would love the chance to run it back under fair conditions for both of us, so we start on equal footing and truly see who`s better. If people are impressed by Merab`s grappling and pace, I believe my fight with Movsar is a strong indicator of how our fight could have unfolded. Even the Calvin Kattar fight, though Kattar is a more stationary opponent, shows that when I get my hands on someone, it`s a different fight.”
Reflecting on his own mental state in their first bout, Sterling confessed, “I was in such a bad headspace for that fight with O’Malley. I tried to psych myself up into wanting to be there, but once I was in the cage, I was just trying to poker face it and pretend. Even in the corner, I was thinking, `I just want this to be over. I really want to go home.`”
He candidly admitted, “Sure enough, I threw an awkward, uncalculated strike, and Sean landed a beautiful right hand. That`s the reality of this sport. And again, for him, he shouldn`t return until he`s mentally ready to compete because going in without that desire will lead to a bad night.”
Since moving to featherweight, Sterling holds a 1-1 record, securing a dominant decision win over Calvin Kattar at UFC 300 and a close decision loss to Movsar Evloev in December.
Regardless of whether a rematch with O’Malley materializes, Sterling is eager to compete as soon as the UFC provides an opponent.
“Man, I`ve been ready since… I literally texted my team asking for a fight back in January, even though I knew I needed a brief break to heal,” Sterling stated. “My shoulder, the one I had surgery on, gets aggravated in every fight, requiring some rest and rehab to get strong again. I messaged in January wanting to fight, then asked about the March card. I was basically told I could ease up a bit.”
He continued, “Then I got offered a short-notice fight against Patricio `Pitbull` towards early February. At that time, I was focused on other things, like being a businessman for my brand, Funk Harbor rum. Many people might not know I fully funded this myself, so it’s my own hard-earned money. Naturally, I dedicated time and attention to it and wasn`t training as I should have been. I kicked myself for that because it was a great chance to fight a former champion like Pitbull, and I missed it. I asked about April, didn’t get it. Asked about the June card in Jersey, didn’t get that either.”
Sterling is ready despite upcoming personal events. “I have a bachelor party soon, and I`m getting married at the end of the year. A lot is happening, but I`m ready to go. I was in fight camp with Merab for most of the time, so I`m in shape. I could easily do three five-minute rounds, probably even five five-minute rounds without issue. I`m just waiting for them to give me a name. Ideally, I’d fight someone ranked similarly to Movsar, like Brian Ortega or Arnold Allen – names that make sense. I’d even fight Lerone Murphy, somehow he’s ranked above me now. If that’s the name they want, I’m open to it.”
