UFC 292: An Early Look At Sterling vs O’Malley’s Promising Title Fight

UFC 292's main event will be the bantamweight fight that's on everybody's minds right now — Alajamain Sterling vs Sean O'Malley.

In the wake of Dana White dropping some huge news on us yesterday, many people have been fixating on the UFC 291 card. And, to be fair, that card is an absolute banger. No complaints on my end. After that is UFC 292 and I'm here to show some love to that event. The main event will be Aljo defending his title against bantamweight standout, ‘Suga' Sean O'Malley.

The co-main event is another title fight, and it'll be Weili Zhang putting her strawweight title on the line against Brazil's 13-2 Amanda Lemos. So, UFC 292 is still being put together, but it's got some very exciting grounds to stand on as the rest develops. Here, we'll dig a little deeper into these two title fights that we've got booked so far.

UFC 292 Main Event: Aljamain Sterling vs Sean O'Malley

Sean O’Malley and Aljamain Sterling at UFC288 – Sterling vs Cejudo at Prudential Center on May 6, 2023 in Newark, NJ. Photo by Louis Grasse/PxImages/ABACAPRESS.COM – Photo by Icon sport

What a fight we've got on our hands! Since his victory over Henry Cejudo earlier this month, it's hard to deny that Sterling isn't the bantamweight GOAT. Just weeks removed from this fight, he's already got his next, and probably final, bantamweight fight lined up. Sterling has mentioned that he wants one more at bantamweight, and then it's up to featherweight.

Looking to make it ten straight to cap off his bantamweight career, Aljo will have to get past ‘Suga'. Heralded as one of the best strikers in the UFC, O'Malley has won 11 of his 16 wins by way of KO/TKO. With that being said — both Sterling and O'Malley are well-rounded, but this is very much a striker vs grappler match.

Sterling is one of the best back takers in the UFC and he certainly knows how to finish from there. Additionally, he's only been finished once, and it's in the exact way Sean will look to steal the title. O'Malley is a great grappler in his own right, but the game plan going into this one will undoubtedly be to work his lengthy kickboxing and find a chin.

The champ's strength of schedule is something to admire; he's fought Petr Yan, TJ Dillashaw, Corey Sandhagen, Henry Cejudo, and many others. The tenure and list of opponents are something that will benefit Sterling. But, O'Malley is unlike any of the fighters the champ has beat.

Charismatic, confident, and getting better every day — the 28 year old challenger is not someone to be taken lightly. Some of the fastest striking in the UFC and surrounded by an outstanding team, Sean O'Malley feels he's ready to fully take over the division.

UFC 292 Co-main Event: Weili Zhang vs Amanda Lemos

UFC strawweight queen Weili Zhang will defend her title for the first time since recapturing it back in November of last year. She'll be taking on Amanda Lemos, a girl who's won two straight and has finished 11 of her 13 wins. The strawweight title has been bounced around between a select group of girls since its origin, and Lemos is a fresh new face to add some excitement to the title picture.

Weili won the title back in 2019. She successfully defended the belt but would lose it to Rose Namajunas in 2021. Unable to defeat Namajunas, Weili defeated the girl who dethroned Rose, Carla Esparza, in dominant fashion. Now, the champion will look to start another reign with the belt.

Amanda Lemos is no stepping stone, though. After becoming the first to finish Marina Rodriguez, the UFC brass decided that she's shown enough to get a crack at the belt. This fight is almost guaranteed fireworks and will further add to the lore of the incredible 115lb division.