O’Malley Took ‘The Jake Paul Route’ To Top

O’Malley is the big star headlining the UFC’s massive Sphere show, but Sterling believes his record is as suspect as Jake Paul’s.

Aljamain Sterling is throwing shade at Sean O’Malley weeks out from “Suga’s” toughest fight ever as he defends his bantamweight belt against Merab Dvalishvili at Riyadh Season Noche UFC on September 14th.

“Funkmaster” has had a chip on his shoulder over O’Malley since the young YouTube star knocked him out in their UFC 292 showdown back in August 2023. According to the former UFC 135 pound champ, it has to do with the route O’Malley took to get to the belt, which he likened to influencer boxer and notorious sandbagger Jake Paul. Aljo explained the gripe with Xtreme Couture head coach Eric Nicksick on his Verse Us podcast.

“I want to see the best of the best compete, no excuses,” Sterling said. “Now, enter O’Malley. He fights one ranked guy and gets a title shot — a split decision albeit. This is not me hating. This is just calling a spade a spade.”

Sterling brought up how the UFC pressured him to defend his title against Sean O’Malley just three months after he defended against Henry Cejudo. He suggested the whole thing was a plot by the promotion to give “Suga” the best chance of winning the belt against a stylistically difficult champion.

“For me, as a competitor, I can never respect that as a man,” he said. “As a man, as a competitor. It’s like the Jake Paul route. Stacking the deck so that you get these highlights or you get these favorable match-ups and these wins to look as good as you do.”

He also flamed “Suga” for having his first title defense against Marlon “Chito” Vera, who is the only man to defeat O’Malley in MMA — a dubiously controversial win earned off injuring Sean’s leg early in their fight.

“You get an easier title defense against a guy you’re clearly worlds better than. Stylistically, the guy’s not going to try and take you down. He can’t take you down because he has no wrestling ability, and he’s ranked six. He didn’t even deserve to be in there.”

Sterling went on to criticize O’Malley’s record further on X (formerly Twitter).

“I’ve always liked Sean’s style since his DWCS fight where I first saw him,” Aljo wrote. “Even complimented him on the JRE podcast. He’s very good. But facts are facts … O’Malley resume in order (all unranked): Ware, Soukhamthath, Quinonez, Wineland, Chito (weird tko), Almeida, Moutinho, Paiva. Ranked: Munhoz (NC eye poke), Yan by split also, then me, then skips #2 Merab for Chito.”

He responded to the haters who suggested his own run was nothing to write home about.

“Try looking at my resume before you come at me bro lol,” he wrote. “I’ve fought all the killers at 135 when they were ALL red hot! 3 unranked opponents my UFC career. Watch ya tone and add respect when you talk about my run.”

Whatever you think of O’Malley’s past record, there’ll be no more easy fights for him so long as he holds the bantamweight belt. Merab Dvalishvili is the best 135er in the world without a title, and then if “Suga” wins on September 14th at UFC 306 he has to fight Umar Nurmagomedov next.

It’s killers in the division all the way down to No. 10 ranked Jose Aldo, so time will tell if O’Malley has what it takes to cement his position as a worthy champion in the UFC.