Since losing his bantamweight title to Sean O’Malley, Aljamain Sterling had considered retirement. He moved up to featherweight and gave up hope of ever reclaiming his belt. However, he’s now speaking out about Sean O’Malley’s immediate rematch against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 316, calling him lucky for getting another shot at the title so quickly.
Meanwhile, “Funk Master” faced a major setback after losing his bantamweight title to “Suga.” Aljamain Sterling even admitted that he had considered retirement if he lost to Calvin Kattar. However, after winning that fight, he remained active in the UFC. In a conversation with Ariel Helwani, the former bantamweight champion opened up about his feelings, expressing how tough his own journey to the title was compared to O’Malley, who got an immediate rematch. Speaking to Helwani, Sterling said:
“I mean, I would be lying if I said I didn’t [care that O’Malley got an immediate rematch]. I get it in a business standpoint, but at the end of the day, it’s like you can’t be envious of what other people get. What he eats doesn’t make me shit. Happy for him. He got it. I didn’t. I had to work my a** off and that’s the one thing that no one can ever say about my career.”
Aljamain Sterling on O'Malley getting the immediate rematch with Merab at UFC 316:
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) June 11, 2025
"I mean, I would be lying if I said I didn't [care that O'Malley got an immediate rematch].
I get it in a business standpoint, but at the end of the day, it's like you can't be envious of what… pic.twitter.com/ipPImgoc73
Sterling also emphasized that nothing in his life has ever been handed to him—he’s had to overcome struggles to get where he is. On the other hand, ‘Suga’ is a rising star who recently failed to reclaim his title from Merab Dvalishvili, and his future in the UFC remains uncertain at this point.
Sean O’Malley’s Co-Host Says Umar Nurmagomedov Fight Makes Sense After Loss
Merab Dvalishvili dashed Sean O’Malley’s hopes of reclaiming the bantamweight title at UFC 316 by submitting him in dominant fashion. Following the loss, talk of O’Malley’s next move has already begun, and one of his podcast co-hosts believes a fight with Umar Nurmagomedov is the perfect step.
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On a recent episode of his YouTube podcast with Tim Welch, the co-host said, “I think Umar’s a perfect matchup. You’ve improved enough to handle his grappling, and I think you would knock Umar out.”
O’Malley agreed that Umar would be a tough challenge and noted the bantamweight division is stacked with elite talent. He admitted that at this level, there are no easy fights, and every opponent brings serious danger.
Also Read: UFC 316 Purse: How Much Money Did Merab Dvalishvili Earn Defeating Sean O’Malley?
