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Sterling vs O’Malley betting tips:
- Aljamain Sterling to win – 2/5 with Betfred
- Aljamain Sterling to win by decision or submission – 10/13 with Bet365
- Over 3.5 rounds – 11/10 with William Hill
Aljamain Sterling will put his UFC bantamweight belt on the line when he fights Sean “Sugar” O’Malley in Boston this weekend.
The Funkmaster won the title via a controversial disqualification against Russian star Petr Yan back in March 2021.
He has since mounted three successful defences of his belt, rattling off victories over Yan, T.J. Dillashaw and Henry Cejudo.
That has cemented his status as the top dog in the division and the UK betting sites make him the 2/5 favourite to win the main event at UFC 292 this weekend.
However, he faces a stern test of his mettle against O’Malley, who has built up a 16-1 professional record since making his debut in 2015.
Sugar got the better of Yan in his last fight so Sterling cannot afford to take him lightly when they lock horns at TD Garden.
Read on to learn more about these fighters and discover our best bets on the bout.
Back the Funkmaster to get the job done
Sterling extended his winning streak to nine fights when he beat Cejudo via a split decision at UFC 288 in May.
He has not had long to rest and recuperate but the 34-year-old should still be in peak physical condition when he steps into the Octagon this weekend.
The Funkmaster now holds the records for the most wins, most consecutive victories and the most consecutive title defences in UFC bantamweight history.
He has already announced plans to vacate his belt after this fight as he plans to step up to featherweight in pursuit of new challenges.
That suggests he is in danger of complacency against O’Malley, but perhaps his attitude is merited as he appears to be technically superior to his rivals in the division.
Merab Dvalishvili is the now the No 1 ranked contender, while O’Malley is No 2, and Sterling recently said he wants to give the former a chance to win the belt.
He should be able to secure a fourth successful defence of his strap in Boston and odds of 2/5 on Sterling to win looks pretty reliable if you are compiling an accumulator or bet builder.
Incidentally, Zhang Weili looks perfectly capable of beating Amanda Lemos in the co-main event and you can get cumulative odds of 5/6 if you go for a Sterling-Zhang win double.
Tip: Aljamain Sterling to win – 2/5 with Betfred
Sterling’s superior grappling ability should shine through
O’Malley is four inches taller than Sterling and the 28-year-old contender will enjoy a slight reach advantage in this bout.
He is an extremely powerful bantamweight and 11 of his 16 professional victories have come via a knockout.
O’Malley’s highlight reel is terrific as he has secured brutal stoppage wins against the likes of Raulian Paiva, Kris Moutinho and Thomas Almeida in recent years.
He has won the Performance of the Night award four times in his last nine bouts, while another three of them were named Fight of the Night.
Sugar is a highly energetic fighter too and he lands an average of 7.43 significant strikes per minute at a 60 per cent accuracy rate.
O’Malley will be well aware of Sterling’s propensity to leave his chin exposed and he will seek to win this one via knockout.
That proved to be Sterling’s downfall when he was knocked out by a flying knee from Marlon Moraes in December 2017, but the Funkmaster is unbeaten since then.
He is not as powerful as O’Malley – just three of his 23 wins have come by way of a knockout – but he is a vastly superior wrestler.
Sterling should use his grappling ability to control this fight and he is likely to win either by submission or decision.
You can grab a market-leading price of 10/3 at William Hill on him winning by decision and you can hedge by backing him to win by submission at 7/4.
Alternatively, just opt for a double chance bet on a points win or a submission win at odds of 10/13 with Bet365.
Tip: Aljamain Sterling to win by decision or submission – 10/13 with Bet365
Bet on over 3.5 rounds in Sterling vs O’Malley
O’Malley is a tough fighter who has only ever been stopped once in his professional career, so he should be able to hang in there against Sterling.
Three of his last five fights have seen over 3.5 rounds and that looks like a sensible bet at odds of 11/10 with William Hill.
Two of Sterling’s last three fights have gone the distance – a split decision win against Yan in April 2022 and a split decision victory over Cejudo last time out.
Since signing with the UFC, 60 per cent of his fights have gone to the judges’ scorecards and this looks like another bout that could be decided on points, so over 3.5 rounds is a smart play here.
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Last Updated: 14th March 2024, 07:22 AM
