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Aljamain Sterling still has Sean O’Malley on his mind even after he picked up a win in a grappling match at Polaris 25 on Saturday.
The ex-UFC bantamweight champion earned a decision win over Mike Grundy in a 10-minute match that saw the wrestlers constantly jockeying for position without giving up too many bad positions. Sterling showed grit and determination with his takedowns and grappling acumen in the exchanges and scrambles on the mat.
In the end, Sterling was able to outlast Grundy to get the job done, which puts him back in the win column after he suffered a loss in his recent title fight against O’Malley at UFC 292.
While he was obviously happy with the win in his grappling match, Sterling wasted no time turning his attention back to O’Malley and sending the new UFC bantamweight champion a rather emphatic message.
“I got a message for Mr. Suga T*** because he’s still that to me,” Sterling shouted to the crowd in Wales. “Hey, give me my rematch or fight Merab [Dvalishvili]. It’s that simple.
“Stop ducking the top contenders and be a man and be a real champion. Fight the best of the best. That’s what I did and now you need to turn around and do the same exact s***. Let’s go.”
Since suffering a second-round TKO loss, Sterling has remained vocal calling for a rematch against O’Malley after he set the record for the most bantamweight title defenses in UFC history with three in a row.
If Sterling doesn’t get an immediate rematch, he wants his teammate and friend Merab Dvalishvili to get that opportunity instead. Dvalishvili currently sits with a nine-fight win streak in the division including recent wins over ex-UFC champion Petr Yan and Jose Aldo.
Following his win over Sterling in August, O’Malley began calling for a rematch of his own against Chito Vera, who stands as the only loss on his record after they previously clashed back in 2020. O’Malley pushed for a date in December but the year-end UFC 296 card already features two title fights so it’s likely the new bantamweight king will have to wait until 2024 to compete again.
Who O’Malley will face remains a mystery but Sterling wants to be involved in that conversation with hopes he’ll get a rematch or Dvailishvili will get his long awaited opportunity at becoming UFC champion.
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