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Aljamain Sterling set the stage for a potential clash with bantamweight star Sean O'Malley following his victory over Henry Cejudo at UFC 288. UFC president Dana White, like every other fight fan, was excited by the prospect, and he believes the bout could take place at UFC Boston in 2023.
Following his UFC 288 clash, Sterling immediately focused on his next opponent, Sean O'Malley, who entered the cage shortly during the reigning bantamweight champion's post fight interview. Moments of tension erupted inside the cage, but they were quickly put to rest by UFC security.
Watch Sean O'Malley sqaure off against Aljamain Sterling below:
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Dana White claimed in the post-fight media scrum that the fight could likely be scheduled for August at UFC 292 in Boston. According to Tapology, UFC 292 is set to take place on Saturday, August 19, 2023 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Speaking on a potential date for the fight, White stated:
"He's [Sean O'Malley] is next. Probably August [talking about potential timeline]."
Watch Dana White confirm Aljamain Sterling vs. Sean O'Malley for UFC 292 below:
If everything works out according to plans, Aljamain Sterling vs. Sean O'Malley could be the first fight that gets booked for UFC 292.
Sterling has now won nine consecutive bouts. After winning the belt from Petr Yan via DQ at UFC 259 in March 2021, 'Funk Master' has successfully defended his bantamweight championship three times. Sterling also has the most victories in the history of the UFC bantamweight division with 14 and the longest active winning streak with nine.
Meanwhile, Sean O'Malley was last seen inside the octagon against Petr Yan at UFC 280. While it was a significant step up in competition for 'Sugar,' he proved his merit by winning the back-and-forth bout by split decision.
UFC Boston 2023: Sean O'Malley believes that Aljamain Sterling lost to Henry Cejudo at UFC 288
Henry Cejudo lost a split decision to Aljamain Sterling at UFC 288 and was unsuccessful in his effort to become a two-time bantamweight champion.
Two judges scored the bout 48-47 for Sterling, while judge Michael Bell scored it 48-47 for the challenger Cejudo. The majority of the MMA community believed that Henry Cejudo had won the fifth round, but UFC judge Derek Cleary scored the fifth round in favor of Sterling. Cejudo's effort to reclaim the bantamweight title was hampered by the contentious scoring.
Sean O'Malley, who will most likely challenge Sterling next potentially at UFC 292, claimed in the post-fight media scrum that Cejudo won the fight:
"I thought Henry was 3-1 up going into the fifth. I was honestly pretty surprised that Aljo won. I thought Henry did what he needed to do."
Catch Sean O'Malley's comments below:
