Bantamweight champion Algermain Sterling won his third defence of his title with a decision victory over former two-division champion Henry Cejudo, somewhat cleansing himself of the “accidental champion” stigma.
However, he still hasn’t shaken off the “champion by accident” label as he continues to make excuses for his fourth defence against Sean O’Malley.
The UFC has asked Sterling to make his fourth defence against No. 2 ranked Sean O’Malley at UFC292 on 20 August.스포츠토토
O’Malley is the kingpin of the bantamweight division, but he’s coming off a 2-1 decision win over Petr Jan, despite nearly losing his previous fight.
Sterling is expected to put up a tough defence, but O’Malley has been avoiding him, saying he was injured in the Sejudo fight and will need to have an MRI on his arm.
Sterling’s image has changed a lot since he was losing and then beat Casey, Petr, and Cejudo, who won on a foul by Petr, to become champion.
However, as he continued to make excuses, Sejudo “stepped up to the plate” and said he wanted an interim title shot against O’Malley if Sterling was unable to compete due to illness.
“If Aljo isn’t ready, O’Malley and I will have an interim title fight,” Sejudo said on his YouTube channel.
Sejudo, a former flyweight and bantamweight champion who is making his comeback after more than three years, is ranked third in the bantamweight division after losing a 1-2 decision to Sterling.
Refusing to give up on his dream of returning to the championship, Cejudo will next fight No. 1 ranked Merab Dvalishvili, with a win earning him another title shot.
Meanwhile, UFC president Dana White is pushing ahead with UFC 292, using Sterling’s “sick” comment as an excuse.