Sean O’Malley Crowns Himself Champion at UFC 292
Sean O’Malley TKOs Aljamain Sterling, wins UFC bantamweight title
Sean O’Malley entered UFC 292 seeking fame.
Welcome to the spotlight.
O’Malley drilled Aljamain Sterling with a right hand in the opening moments of the second round, then pummeled the champ with hammer fists until there was no other option but to stop the fight.
The first four fights of the UFC 292 pay-per-view finished in decisions, but O’Malley (17-1, 1 NC) ensured that did not happen in the main event. It was a shock to see Sterling (23-4) take a TKO defeat, especially only 51 seconds into the second round, but O’Malley landed the perfect shot.
The victory is especially significant for the bantamweight division, as Sterling is likely to move weight classes and compete at featherweight. Sterling is one of the greatest bantamweights in UFC history, but he fell prey to O’Malley’s reach and knockout power.
The first round was mainly a feeling out process, with Sterling primarily using the five minutes gauging O’Malley’s timing. There were no takedowns, nor any strikes of any real damaging significance. The most action happened in the final 20 seconds, when Sterling went for a takedown against the cage and hit O’Malley with a handful of strikes.
It was a surprise to see Sterling so willing to strike with O’Malley, but he was clearly attempting to make a point. Before O’Malley landed that giant shot, Sterling reached with his left hand, leaving him off-balance. To O’Malley’s credit, he made Sterling pay for that mistake.
After the fight, Sterling admitted that he needed to conduct some soul-searching regarding his future as either a bantamweight or featherweight. If he remains in bantamweight, he would certainly be in line for a rematch, but he may be better off waiting until 2024 instead of fighting for a third time in 2023.
O’Malley will likely make his first title against Chito Vera, potentially as soon as this December.
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Zhang Weili dominates Amanda Lemos
Zhang Weili came out with a point to prove.
Weili hit Amanda Lemos with 288 strikes, only absorbing 21 in return. Remarkably, out of the first 200 strikes, 180 of them were thrown by Weili. That staggering number, somehow, did not produce a finish, but it was more than enough to secure the victory.
Weili (24-3) made a successful title defense against Lemos (13-3-1), winning by unanimous decision in a fight where she had 14:52 minutes of ground control time–and Lemos had none.
The two delivered an outrageous first round, which primarily saw Weili dominate on top of Lemos. But Lemos was able to adjust and lock in a rear naked choke, putting Weili in serious danger. Yet Weili fought to take Lemos’ back, and finished the round with an emphatic body drop.
Weili seized control of Lemos’ back again in the second round. She was unable to produce a finish, but she certainly won the round. The third opened with more striking, then again Weili took control. This was her most dominant five minutes yet, and she seized an even greater advantage in significant strikes.
Lemos knocked Zhang down in the fourth, though she was quick to return to her feet. She also attempted another rear naked choke, a hold Weili broke. The last minute of the fourth saw Lemos more reckless in her willingness to strike. That cost her, as Weili landed a kick to the face, but Lemos was clearly aware the only way she was winning was through a finish.
Weili started the fifth ferociously, knocking Lemos down with a kick to the body and then attacking with ground-and-pound. But Lemos continued to work her way back to her feet, which prevented a stoppage.
This was a dominant performance from the champ, who will look to make her second title defense in 2024–perhaps even at UFC 300.
****
Ian Garry remains undefeated with victory over Neil Magny
Ian Garry’s rise continues.
Garry (13-0) remained undefeated at UFC 292, defeating Neil Magny by unanimous decision.
Fighting on short notice, Magny (28-11) lacked any explosiveness or in-fight adjustments. While he is still a gatekeeper for the welterweight division, he was outclassed in multiple disciplines by Garry.
Garry was the aggressor in all three round rounds, dominating the fight and the scorecards (30-26, 30-26, and 30-24). Magny struggled with Garry’s leg kicks, and Garry, to his credit, never strayed from his patient approach.
This was an important test for Garry, who will continue to see tougher opponents. He called out “Wonderboy” Stephen Thompson after the win, which is a calculated choice for his next opponent.
****
Mario Bautista ends history-making quest for De’Mon Blackshear
Mario Bautista defeated De’Mon Blackshear, earning his fifth straight win in the Octagon.
Bautista (13-2) had an answer for every single one of Blackshear’s attacks. His control time played a significant factor in the unanimous decision win. The judges got this one right (29-28, 29-28, 30-27), but the loss does not reflect poorly for Blackshear.
Blackshear defeated Jose Johnson with a rarely seen Twister submission last Saturday at UFC Fight Night in Vegas. Competing on back-to-back weekends, with back-to-back weight cuts, is an incredible feat, though Blackshear (14-6-1) was unable to produce the win in the back end of that journey.
Similar to the opening bout, Bautista lost out a fight against a higher profile opponent in former champion Cody Garbrandt. But that does not make the win any less meaningful as he takes one step closer to a Top 15 bantamweight ranking.
****
Chito Vera takes one step closer to bantamweight title shot
Chito Vera resumed his winning ways at UFC 292.
Vera (21-8-1) defeated Pedro Munhoz by unanimous decision in the opening bout of the pay-per-view. His four-fight win streak was snapped in March by Cory Sandhagen, but this victory resumes his path toward the bantamweight title.
The win propels Vera into a second-place tie for the most victories in UFC bantamweight history. Munhoz (20-8, 2 NC) was very tough, though Vera landed more significant strikes throughout the first two rounds (39-38 in the first, 49-45 in the second), but this was a lot closer than the scorecard indicated. It was surprising to see Munhoz (20-8, 2 NC) lose decisively, 30-27, on two different scorecards (the third scorecard was a more accurate 29-28 scoring in Vera’s favor).
Originally scheduled to be a bout against Henry Cejudo, this one had far less sizzle. But Vera needed to reassert himself in the division, and that is exactly what he did with the win over Munhoz. A rematch for Vera against Sean O’Malley, particularly if O'Malley loses in the main event against Aljamain Sterling, would make a compelling next bout.
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BOSTON, MA - UFC 292 is a proving ground.
Aljamain Sterling attempts to cement his legacy as the greatest bantamweight in UFC history. In order to do that, he’ll need this victory against Sean O’Malley in the main event of tonight’s pay-per-view.
O’Malley has a long list of question marks entering this bout. He simply hasn’t consistently defeated top opponents, and his takedown defense will be immediately tested by Sterling. This is an opportunity for O’Malley to become the number-one bantamweight in the world, but it feels like his ascent has been rushed.
The 292 card also features Zhang Weili defend her strawweight title against Amanda Lemos. While Lemos has the power necessary to win, she matches up poorly on the ground against Weili. There are also compelling bouts pitting Neil Magny against brash-talking Ian Garry, Mario Bautista against Da’Mon Blackshear, and Chito Vera against Pedro Munhoz.
The ESPN prelims include the finale of The Ultimate Fighter. Brad Katona looks to become the first-ever two-time TUF winner as he faces Cody Gibson in the bantamweight final, and Kurt Holobaugh meets Austin Hubbard in the lightweight finals.
Live coverage will be provided all night.
Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.
