Tim Welch, head coach to UFC bantamweight Sean O’Malley, likes what he sees in the 135-pound division champ. Welch recently told ESPN that Aljamain Sterling is “the most dangerous bantamweight champion there’s ever been.”
“Stylistically, I think this is the most dangerous bantamweight champion there’s ever been. I really think that. He’s so athletic, long and strong. He’s not just a good wrestler, he’s a good wrestler with good jiu-jitsu, and he’s very funky.
UFC: Sean O’Malley’s Coach Declares Aljamain Sterling “Most Dangerous Bantamweight Champion There’s Ever Been”
He switches stances, throws spazzy things at you, he’s good at chaining his wrestling together. [He’s the] most dangerous bantamweight ever, in my opinion.
If you make one simple mistake, he’s going to be on your back the whole time. His cardio has gotten better. He’s not only good at grappling, but MMA grappling. The timing is going to be right when he’s ready to start punching you, or advancing to half guard, or mounting and forcing you to give up your back. He’s very good physically and technically.”
Despite all these attributes, Tim Welch has total faith in his star pupil to take Sterling’s UFC title. “If anybody is going to [take the title from Sterling], it’s ‘Suga.’
[For] his whole career, the game plan against Sean has been to put him on the fence and take him down. His whole career has been that way.”
Sterling vs O’Malley is confirmed for the UFC’s return to Boston in August, which will mark a very quick turnaround for Aljamain Sterling.
O’Malley surged up the bantamweight rankings when he took on former champion Petr Yan, defeating the Russian fighter via a narrow decision late last year. In doing so, “Suga Sean” became the no.1 ranked bantamweight on the UFC roster, behind only Aljamain Sterling.
Before O’Malley could get his shot at the title, Sterling had to dispatch a couple of former champions. That meant finishing T.J. Dillashaw inside two rounds in his second title defense, and most recently defeating former two-division champion and Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo.
After the Cejudo fight, O’Malley entered the Octagon to declare his assault on Sterling’s title, while Sterling’s teammate Merab Dvalishvili stood in the background, wearing O’Malley’s jacket and a grin.
The matchup, on paper, seems like a classic striking versus grappling fight, with O’Malley’s enormous reach advantage potentially nullified by Sterling’s relentless grappling prowess.
However, neither fighter has a serious hole in their overall game: O’Malley has yet to succumb to a submission, while Sterling consistently enjoys success in his striking.
