Ex-UFC Champ exposes Aljamain Sterling's weakness ahead of title clash against O'Malley

Ahead of his much-anticipated fight against Sean O'Malley at this week's pay-per-view event UFC 292, the promotion's undisputed Bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling is seemingly at loggerheads with another fighter from a different promotion. The Funk Master recently took a dig at a former UFC champion and thus has become a subject of the latter's fury. 

3 things you need to know

• Aljamain Sterling will face Sean O'Malley at UFC 292
• The Bantamweight championship will be on the line in the main event
• The two had an intense face-off at UFC 288

Also Read | 'I talked to Conor yesterday': UFC president Dana White confirms McGregor's next opponent

Demetrious Johnson exposes Aljamain Sterling's weakness

After cementing his reign as UFC Bantamweight Champion, Aljamain Sterling is a man to beat in the promotion. While there is no scarcity of challenges in UFC for Sterling, it seems like fighting the ONE Flyweight champion and one of the all-time greats, Demetrious Johnson, may have some zinger. The UFC champion recently called out the "Mighty Mouse," claiming that he is too small to beat him. The ONE Flyweight champion, in retort, has come up with a breakdown of how he would get the better of the bantamweight champ if they ever meet inside the ring.

Relentless. pic.twitter.com/f7Ty6jhYyN

— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) August 16, 2023

"I feel his weakness is he has no clinch game. Like, I would eat his (explicit) up for breakfast in the clinch game. I feel like rhythm-wise, I move way better than he does in the feet. Grappling, he is longer, so I would never let him get my (explicit) back, because he'll lock them (explicit) 'Funk Master' legs in a body triangle like he did to Petr Yan, and I'll have to survive him doing that."

Johnson continued:

"I feel like his shot, I feel like my balance now and my clinch game would give his shot getting close. The one thing he does that helps to my advantage is that he crosses a distance for me, right? He does this (explicit) right here and a funky-(explicit) kick, and I'm like, 'Perfect. Come here, I wanna show you a thing called Muay Thai clinch.' I just feel like I'll eat him alive in a clinch."

Also Read | Why UFC hasn't been able to build another Conor McGregor?

Aljamain Sterling vs Sean O'Malley: Battle for the Bantamweight Crown

Aljamain Sterling will take on Sean O'Malley in the UFC 292 main event. The clash is one of the most anticipated events and comes as a contest between a dominant champ and a rising superstar. It is the battle of the evens, as both have superior striking abilities and are perhaps the finest bantamweights in the current roster. Sterling would enter as the favourite to retain, but O'Malley, in the past, has showcased that he could produce his best in the big matches.