Aljamain Sterling is weighing in on the rumored Sean O’Malley vs. Marlon Vera rematch.
The former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling is having a hard time understanding why the UFC would skip over other contenders and give Sean O’Malley (17-1 MMA) a rematch with Chito Vera (23-8 MMA).
‘Suga’ became the new UFC bantamweight champion when he defeated Sterling (23-4 MMA) via TKO in August of this year at UFC 292.
Speaking on ‘The MMA Hour‘, Sterling shared his feelings about the rumored rematch between ‘Suga’ and ‘Chito’:
“Chito’s No. 6, dude, I don’t even…there’s a story line. We signed (to merge with) the WWE…why are we making this a WWE sport?”
‘Funk Master’ has asked for an immediate rematch with O’Malley.
“As you said, champions turn around, they do it all the time. So we’re gonna hold you to that Mr. Sean, you’re gonna turn around and do it like all the other champions, as well.”
As for the UFC and their business model, Sterling continued:
“(The UFC is) not the WWE, and I get the business model of things. So, I’m not even talking about that. I’m just saying as a pure sport fanatic myself, I watch the fights week in and week out. I hate this model.”
“I’ve learned to kind of just embrace it, and try to do my best, and try to make a character and persona, and try to be more engaging with the fans to kind of give that feel, because that’s what the company wants, right? We want characters, people that we can kind of sell, even though you want say, ‘I don’t sell, I’m not a huge (draw).’ OK. That’s relative to whatever you want say to the fans and the viewers.”
Doubling down on why on earth a No. 6 would get the nod, Aljamain Sterling continued:
“But the fact that we’re going to skip over everybody else and go to No. 6, when there’s a guy who literally, let’s be honest, he kicked Petr Yan’s ass way worse than I did, way worse than Sean O’Malley did. Why is he not next? There’s a storyline. He still has the jacket.”
As for who Sterling would like to see O’Malley fight next, if it’s not in fact him, the 34-year-old said:
“People keep saying (Dvalishvili and I are) clogging up the division. We’re not clogging up the division. If I’m getting a rematch, that’s going happen, Merab is next. If I’m not getting a rematch, problem solved, Merab is next, and then maybe I just f**k off and go 145. If I’m not gonna get the rematch, maybe I just f**k off and go 45.”
Concluding, Sterling said:
“I know people are gonna say you’re going back and forth. What I’m saying is if the rematch is given to me because it’s a title shot opportunity, where I make the most money as an athlete, I’m going to take it, like anybody else with a brain. This is not even about just fighting the best in the world anymore. It’s not even about that anymore. I’ve done that already.”
“Now, I would like to cash out as much as I can, while I’m 34 years old, and try to get out with all my faculties as best as I can intact, and whoop a lot more asses on my way out. That’s the goal. And if I’m not gonna be the guy to challenge for the belt again at 135, (Dvalishvili) has paid his dues, he’s fought everybody that the UFC has put in front of him. Merab Dvalishvili, how do you not give him an opportunity to make history to be the first Georgian champion ever?”
Do you agree with Sterling that ‘Chito’ is not deserving of a title shot and if not himself, it should be Merab Dvalishvili (16-4 MMA) who gets the nod?
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