UFC 292: 3 things we learned
3. Time to stop doubting Sean O'Malley
It all started with the walkout. There was no better way to foreshadow his coronation than selecting the Lupe Fiasco classic "Superstar" to score his march to the Octagon.
"If you are what you say you are, a superstar. Then have no fear, the camera's here. And the microphones. And they wanna know." The lyrics blasted in the TD Garden as a pro-O'Malley crowd cheered on.
O'Malley is not naive, he knows well that his first title shot carried the weight of a planet. Since his knockout in Dana White's Contender Series went viral in 2017, they gave him the spotlight and he embraced it. The colorful hair, the face tattoos, the knockouts, and the loud personality-- everything about O'Malley screamed cash cow. Over five years later, he got the opportunity to solidify his stardom and place on top of the bantamweights.
Of course, not everybody bought into the noise he was making. Shouts about him taking easy fights, losing the bout yet winning the decision against Petr Yan were constant. Doubters and believers alike looked forward to his title challenge against Sterling at UFC 292.
O'Malley thrived when the lights shined the brightest, to say the least. Sterling won the first round. But in the second, O'Malley landed the perfect right hand to become the undisputed bantamweight champion.
Skeptics should look no further for proof of O'Malley's skills and worth. He eliminated a very dominant (former) champion in true O'Malley fashion. Any and all cries of "lucky shot" will not be entertained. That was a perfectly calculated and executed knockout punch-- even Sterling knew it was coming.
As the new bantamweight champion, O'Malley is giving fans and the UFC so much to look forward to. How does it get sweeter than this? As he basks in his victory, let's hope the reign is as good as the crowning moment.
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