UFC 292: TD Garden; Boston, Massachusetts
The magic of the slightest of movement is one of the biggest things that separates fighters. To be able to maintain focus enough while getting your head off the centerline, and countering is the reason snipers are dangerous. Like him or not; Sean OMalley is just that. A snipers key ingredient is eyesight. And O’Malley who has a reach over most in the division can steer clear of trouble fighting at distance, rather then in a phonebooth.
It took him just 51-seconds into round two to end the reign for now of Aljamain Sterling. Things got chippy leading to the minute the cage door finally closed, but it wasn’t as visceral as it could be. The duo didn’t tear each other apart from the get go. They knew each others skills and deep down respected it. Hence, they used feints hoping for a costly mistake, and stayed at distance; with Sterling using leg kicks to find his range.
Round two saw a step up in the pace. O’Malley slid a bit on a kick with Sterling getting a takedown attempt snuffed. With some separation, Sterling over extended himself and was clipped by the snipers dangerous right hand. Hitting the target perfect, the champion went down. O’Malley jumped on him with hammer fists till referee MARC GODDARD jumped in stopping the fight.
The Reason Snipers Are Dangerous
The new champion admitted:
“Honestly, this was the most nervous I’ve ever been for a fight. In my eyes Aljamain Sterling is the best bantamweight of all time. I was a little bit nervous, but I never lost confidence because I know what I posess in the right f***ing hand.”
But the gift that god gives can also be a flaw. O’Malley does at times keep his hands down. While he made the official call out for Marlon Vera for December in the T-Mobile arena; it may not be the last time he sees Sterling. Realizing what just happened to him, and his “original gameplan” of bringing O’Malley to the mat and backpacking him wasn’t implemented questioned exactly what Alexander Volkanovski would do to him. However, the grit of Vera who has survived through wars, can get inside and touch the champion’s chin.
Making the huge cut to 135, Sterling could still go up, but perhaps a slower approach would make more sense. Someone like Brian Ortega could fill that gap. And deep down O’Malley knows that Merab Dvalishvili is even more dangerous due to the pace he fights at. Although high paced fighters tend to give snipers lots of targets. Or perhaps the now former champion is granted an immediate rematch. After all, Sterling did roll nine in a row.
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