Former UFC Bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling has implored belt-holder Sean O’Malley not to make his first defence against Marlon Vera.
‘Funkmaster‘ lost his 135 lbs title to his fellow countryman back in August. O’Malley delivered a perfectly-timed second round knockout of Sterling to clinch championship status for the first time in his career.
There is yet to be any official confirmation of either’s next UFC opponent. Sterling did emerge victorious in a grappling contest on Saturday night, earning a decision win against Mike Grundy at Polaris 25.
Aljamain Sterling Calls Out Sean O’Malley
Following his recent win outside the octagon, the 34-year-old was quick to reposition his attention towards a former foe.
Sterling, in front of a Welsh crowd, exclaimed: “I’ve got a message for Mr. ‘Sugar Tits’. Hey, give me my rematch or fight Merab. It’s that simple.
“Stop ducking the top contenders and be a man and be a real champ and fight the best of the best. That’s what I did. Now you need to turn around and do the same exact sh*t.”
‘Funkmaster‘s long-standing training partner Merab Dvalishvili is currently riding a nine-fight winning streak. He overcame former champion Petr Yan last time out via unanimous decision in an extremely one-sided five round performance. The Georgian, at present, ranks second in the bantamweight division.
Meanwhile, O’Malley has often discussed a future bout against another contender in Marlon Vera. ‘Chito‘ is responsible for the 28-year-old’s sole loss in his professional career, earning the victory via first round stoppage back in 2020. He would come into the contest off the back of a decision win over Pedro Munhoz at UFC 292.
After losing to O’Malley at that same event, Sterling has repeatedly called for an immediate rematch. Opinions within the MMA community are certainly divided as to whether the former champ deserves the chance to avenge his loss to ‘Suga‘ straight away.
The next challenger for the 135 lbs belt is yet to be released to the public. Sterling, however, will be hoping either himself or Dvalishvili are next in line.
Do you think Aljamain Sterling should get an immediate rematch? Do Merab Dvalishvili or Marlon Vera deserve a chance more? Let us know in the comments!
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
