UFC champion Aljamain Sterling praises Sean O’Malley for his “genius” approach to the fight game

UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling has praised Sean O’Malley for his approach to the fight game.

While neither man is overly popular within the general MMA fanbase, Aljamain Sterling and Sean O’Malley are still two of the most intriguing characters in the bantamweight division. They’ve both enjoyed a lot of success throughout their respective careers and in the future, there’s a decent chance they could collide inside the Octagon.

In a recent interview, Sterling spoke candidly about O’Malley and his rise to prominence in the UFC after it was announced that he’d be returning to face Pedro Munhoz at UFC 276.

“I think he’s smart, genius. That’s kind of what I wanted to do, take my time, build my name up, get some good wins over unranked opponents where I could capitalise on my grappling but still get time to work on my stand-up in real time,” Sterling said.

“I had to jump into the top 10 in like my third fight. For him, he’s been able to take his time this entire trek, fighting Paiva who should not have been ranked in the first place. I think he’s tough, he’s smart, he’s doing it the right way, doing it his way on his terms and he’s making good money. He’s utilising the UFC platform and parlaying that into other opportunities for him.”

Will we see Aljamain Sterling battle Sean O’Malley in the future?