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Aljamain Sterling's tenure as the bantamweight champion concluded as he experienced a second-round TKO loss to Sean O'Malley in the main event of UFC 292 this past weekend.
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Following his loss, 'Funk Master' showed utmost respect for the newly minted champion and harbored no ill feelings. However, the former 135-pound champ made it clear that he desires a chance to reclaim his throne.
Sterling conveyed his commitment to winning back the UFC bantamweight championship in a recent post on X (formerly Twitter). He expressed his aspiration for a rematch against Sean O'Malley in 2024.
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Check out Sterling's post below:
Aljamain Sterling's loss adds some uncertainty to his future plans. If he had won, a move to the featherweight division and a quick title shot against Alexander Volkanovski could have been likely. But now, he'll need to work his way back up by facing other opponents.
However, a particularly intriguing option for Sterling is a trilogy fight against Petr Yan. Sterling won the bantamweight title in their initial encounter at UFC 259 in 2021 due to 'No Mercy' being disqualified due to an illegal knee strike. Their rematch at UFC 273 in 2022 was much closer, with Sterling narrowly securing a unanimous decision victory.
In a recent post on X, Petr Yan seemingly threw down the gauntlet to fight Aljamain Sterling again:
"Deal."
Check out Yan's post below:
Aljamain Sterling issues a graceful remark following his UFC 292 championship loss to Sean O'Malley
Aljamain Sterling displayed remarkable sportsmanship right after his defeat to Sean O'Malley. He refrained from making any excuses or objecting to the stoppage, despite widespread opinions that it was premature.
In a recent YouTube video, 'Funk Master' candidly discussed his loss and shared his upcoming goals. Sterling discussed the silver lining in his unexpected upset and the lessons he took from it:
"Feels good, to know that not just your phone ringing when you're winning but people who still care about you in your dark time. Even though this isn't that dark of an emotional time for me. Like you know, if I got outclassed dude I wouldn't even know where to begin to know how to pick up the pieces. Glass half full. Yeah, I lost, but I fought great in the first round."
Check out Sterling's comments below (from 7:26):
