Exclusive: Sean O'Malley could influence judges' decision against Aljamain Sterling because of his personality, says Da'Mon Blackshear

Sean O'Malley's charismatic personality could help him get the nod on the judges' scorecards against Aljamain Sterling, according to UFC bantamweight Da'Mon Blackshear.

Last month, Dana White dropped the bombshell that UFC 292 is set to be headlined by Sterling and O'Malley going head-to-head for the 135lb title. The bout will take place on August 19, 2023, at the TD Garden in Boston and marks a remarkably quick turn around for the champ, who has only recently come out of his five round victory over Henry Cejudo.

Sean O'Malley will head into the fight as the fresher fighter, having not competed since his split-decision victory over Petr Yan at UFC 281 last year. That win earned him his No.1 contender status and the two bantamweight stars are now set to put on a show for the fans.

Weighing in on the title bout was Da'Mon Blackshear, who spoke exclusively to Sportskeeda MMA.

According to 'Da Monster', other than a finish, the best thing O'Malley could do is take the fight to a decision against Sterling. The 28-year-old believes 'Sugar's' infectious personality means the judges are more likely to lean in his favor. He said:

"We'll see, we'll see what Sean O'Malley can show us. He can definitely sell fights, I think that's part of the game and he's likeable. So if he can edge out a close decision, it'll definitely go in his favor."

Check out the interview here (4:40):

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Sean O'Malley's coach claims UFC brass wants to see him win gold

Sean O'Malley will compete for the first UFC title of his career when he takes on Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292.

His coach, Tim Welch, recently gave his thoughts on the matchup during an appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani. According to Welch, O'Malley's bold personality and knockout power would make him a dream champion for the UFC to market. Welch stated:

"Yeah. For sure. Having 'Sugar' be the champion - I mean, what other bantamweight in history has just one-punched people and walked off like Mark Hunt?"

The MMA coach added:

"A bantamweight that's a tall, skinny kid with tattoos and curly hair one-punching people and walking off. The UFC knows what they're doing. 'Sugar' is a big superstar and the UFC helped with that so I'm sure the UFC would love to see a KO artist that's as flashy as Sean be the champion."

Catch the clip here: