Aljamain Sterling vs Sean O'Malley UFC Boston Fight Video Stream Replay Part 1
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In this matchup, O'Malley is the taller( four inches) and longer( one inch), so he might have an advantage when striking from a distance. He makes the most of his length by engaging in long, straight punches and teep kicks while maintaining good range.

O'Malley keeps up a fast pace( 12.4 significant strike attempts per minute), punches with extreme accuracy, and tends to wear down opponents with attritional damage— or one precisely placed strike— rather than loading up on any one punch or kick.

However, O'Malley hardly ever encounters opponents who appear to be within his reach, and "The Funkmaster" can maintain the striking competitive with his unconventional movement and techniques by openings as he mixes in the grappling.

Sterling, who recently out-wrestling Olympic champion Henry Cejudo( landed four of 15 takedowns, 4,000 of control time), maintains 100% of the grappling upside in this match.

Only Islam Makachev and Jailton Almeida( heavyweight) appear to have the same level of elite blend between their grappling and wrestling among current UFC fighters, according to their division.

Although O'Malley's submission defense is probably underrated, the UFC has primarily targeted his accent throughout the rankings. Yan defeated him six times in their fight( on 13 attempts), held the reins for 5:44, and probably would have wrestled harder if he had known how close the scorecards were.

Additionally, Sterling, the Human Backpack, looks to take advantage of O'Malley's propensity to give his back when standing after takedowns against any foe.

O'Malley was unable to escape Yan's body triangle, and Sterling, who is both longer and a better offensive grappler than Yan, will make it much harder for him to do so.

Sterling uses chain wrestling techniques to get opponents to the mat, which explains his 24% completion rate. Sterling shoots takedowns at a high clip( projects for 14 attempts in 25-minute fights).

Due to his ability to consistently take the back and maintain that position for extended stretches, where he can threaten chokes, land strikes, or maintain a low-risk but dominant position, O'Malley may only need one takedown to win the fight— or at least one takingdown for each round.

O'Malley must cause Sterling as much harm as possible, especially when he has the chance to make clean strikes from a distance. However, I don't anticipate Sterling playing a game of kickboxing outside or staying in the pocket for an extended period of time.

I anticipate Sterling to be shooting for legs or attempting to clinch when he isn't on top or in control of O'Malley's back. Additionally, I anticipate him avoiding situations where O'Malley can fully utilize extension in his punches and kicks.

But whenever they come within striking distance, I anticipate Sterling to hammer O'Malley with leg kicks. In two separate battles, O'Malley's peroneal nerve was cut off: his defeat of Marlon Vera and his victory over Andre Soukhamthath( taken down six times).

Additionally, if Sterling can restrict O'Malley's foot movement, it should lessen his finishing power and increase his susceptibility to takedowns.

I find it difficult to imagine O'Malley consistently winning this fight outside of a flash knockout unless he consistently denies takedowns.

Sterling suffers a knockout loss on his record( via Marlon Moraes' knee), and O'Malley combines length, explosiveness, and dynamic ability to deliver resounding victories against any foe. Sterling's style, however, seems out of place for O'Malley in this game.

O'Malley is taking the best possible version of that style in the biggest fight of his career while possibly going through the championship rounds for the first time. It's the kind of test he hasn't yet faced at the UFC level.

Before a title fight, title challengers typically have about 25 minutes of experience, at the very least introducing the UFC Fight Night card.

Recent performances by O'Malley are dubious, and his path to a title was hastened.