Aljamain Sterling channels ‘The Terminator’ in eight-word comeback announcement for UFC gold

The highly-anticipated UFC bantamweight championship fight between Sean O'Malley and Aljamain Sterling took center stage at the UFC 292. The event unfolded at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, on August 19, 2023.

Heading into the main event, 'Funk Master' had already announced that this fight could possibly mark his final appearance in the bantamweight division, as he aimed to step up to the featherweight category to vie for that title as well. This transition hinged on successfully defending his 135-pound championship once more.

However, Sterling's plans didn't unfold as envisioned. Early in the second round, he became a victim of a precisely-placed right counter from 'Sugar,' resulting in a decisive knockdown. Despite his efforts to recover, O’Malley capitalized on his reach advantage, delivering potent punches that led the overseeing referee to halt the contest.

In the aftermath of his defeat, Aljamain Sterling displayed nothing but respect toward the newly crowned champion. Despite this, the former 135-pound kingpin asserted his rightful claim to a rematch opportunity.

Drawing inspiration from Arnold Schwarzenegger's iconic line in 'The Terminator,' Sterling expressed his determination to reclaim the UFC bantamweight championship on X (formerly Twitter). He outlined his vision for a 2024 rematch with Sean O’Malley:

"Rematch 2024. Game of inches. I’ll be back."

Check out Sterling's post below:

---

Aljamain Sterling discusses the 'mistake' that cost him the fight against Sean O'Malley at UFC 292

Aljamain Sterling experienced his first defeat in nearly six years, facing a TKO loss against Sean O'Malley at UFC 292.

'Funk Master' acknowledged the error he made that ultimately halted his impressive nine-fight winning streak and brought his reign as bantamweight champion to a close.

During the UFC 292 post-fight press conference, Sterling stated:

"He stayed disciplined. I didn't want the fight to be boring. I could have sat on the outside and kept playing the leg kick game but then I would have had all the criticisms of everybody else. I was like this is the difference. He stayed disciplined to his game plan, and I kind of let trying to be a little bit more of an exciting style for the fans play a factor."

He added:

"We've seen the [Israel Adesanya]-Yoel Romero fight. We've seen bad fights before, where it's like not much happens, because no one wants to make that grave mistake. I made the mistake, Sean capitalized. I paid for it."

Check out Sterling's comments below (from 3:17):