At UFC 292, Sean O’Malley has been crowned the new UFC bantamweight champion and a rematch is on the cards with Chito Vera, while Ian Machado Garry could potentially face Stephen Thompson despite the latter’s reservations, and Aljamain Sterling is considering moving up to the featherweight division.
UFC 292, on the surface one of the year’s most exciting cards, ended up being a solid pay-per-view event significantly amplified by the triumph in its main event. Sean O’Malley emerged as the new UFC bantamweight champion, signaling a new phase in the UFC world. So it’s quite intriguing to consider the aftermath of UFC’s return to Boston. Notwithstanding UFC President, Dana White, it’s always exciting to look ahead at matches after an event. It’s easy to speculate that Sean O’Malley will defend his newly earned bantamweight title against Chito Vera in a rematch, possibly in December. From a monetary perspective, O’Malley vs. Vera 2 may wind up being the biggest fight in the bantamweight division’s history.
Regarding who would be victorious over O’Malley, it’s a challenging question because we still don’t have a completely clear picture of his abilities. Although his talent is unquestionable and he has a reputation as a hard-hitting counterpuncher with excellent timing, the fight against Aljamain Sterling did not provide much new information to evaluate. The bantamweight division is teeming with formidable contenders which makes it rather ambitious to predict that O’Malley will have a long title reign. Contenders such as Merab Dvalishvili, Henry Cejudo, Cory Sandhagen, and Umar Nurmagomedov all stand a solid chance of dethroning the new champ. As for Garry, he may end up fighting Stephen Thompson. Despite Garry getting turned down by “Wonderboy,” there’s a high possibility we might see Wonderboy vs. Garry at Madison Square Garden.
O’Malley’s ascension as the new UFC bantamweight champion is exciting, but it may potentially lead to a shakeup in the bantamweight division. His prospects of focusing on boxing Gervonta Davis rather than defending the title point towards a tumultuous period for the likes of fans who are interested in meritocracy and finding out who the strongest bantamweight in the world is. The prospect of a rematch between O’Malley and Chito should not upset fans as both fighters are dynamic and their styles complement each other. Nonetheless, Vera’s seeming invulnerability might play a crucial role in influencing the outcome of the match.
While O’Malley seems to be on a winning streak, there’s no denying the challenge Aljamain Sterling is currently facing due to him losing to O’Malley. His future looks uncertain with the potential of moving up to 145 and more contenders in the title conversation. The most rewarding play for Aljo might be fighting Max Holloway (considering the scenario of him defeating the Korean Zombie). On the other hand, it’s likely that Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Machado Garry might face off in upcoming years with the welterweight title at stake. Amid all these predictions and speculations, only time will reveal who stands on top in these anticipated matchups.