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The bantamweight division has a new enforcer! Sean O’Malley shocked the world as he defeated Aljamain Sterling and claimed UFC gold at UFC 292 on August 19 at the TD Garden in Boston. The PPV headliner was a perfect entertainment recipe for the fans: a high-paced action fight with fireworks on offer. The fans went into a frenzy as ‘Suga’ left the arena with the bantamweight strap on his waist.

Notably, both fighters have been at each other’s throats ever since UFC 288 confirmed the next bantamweight title clash. While Sterling came into the fight on the heels of three successful defenses, O’Malley sat out for almost a year, ever since putting aside Petr Yan. However, it was O’Malley who struck his way to victory and ended Sterling’s reign at the top.

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Notably, O’Malley won the fight in the second round with TKO and became the undisputed bantamweight champion.

What happened in the fight between Sean O’Malley and Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292?

Sterling assumed the aggressor’s role and pushed forward with low kicks, mixing those with high-body kicks. In return, O’Malley relied on his high-precision strikes and also feinted shots. However, Sterling bagged the first round with clinching strikes.

via Getty

In the second round, Sterling rushed in for a takedown, but O’Malley resisted the takedown. What followed next was beyond the fans’ expectations. He caught Sterling’s right punch and landed one of his own, and that proved to be critical. He followed up with ground-and-pound, and the referee intervened to stop the fight.

In the post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, he declared, “It’s just the beginning of the Suga era.”

Read More: “Someone Check That Judges” – Fans Lash Out at Conor McGregor’s Fighter As Brad Katona Picks Up Controversial Win Against Cody Gibson at UFC 292

Further, he hinted at his next fight. He wanted revenge for the only loss of his professional MMA career, which came against Marlon Vera. He declared, “I whoop Chito’s as* in December in Vegas an.t T-Mobile”. Amusingly, Vera also fought under the same card and collected a sound victory, thus setting a fight for the title next.

How did the fans react to O’Malley’s knockout win?

Some fans didn’t take kindly the message the new champion sent to Vera. Some fans believed he was dodging a rematch with Sterling.

Some fans pointed out he should fight Merab Dvalishvili, who is the number one contender.

Lastly, some fans expressed excitement about the rematch involving O’Malley and Vera.

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What do you make of this exciting fight at UFC 292? Let us know in the comments below.

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