AUSTIN, TEXAS: Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier talked about the bantamweight title and who might be the next contender to challenge Sean O'Malley, known as 'Suga,' following the fighter's victory in UFC 292.
As UFC 292 reached its climax, Sean O'Malley squared off against Aljamain Sterling for the main card and won the bantamweight championship by technical knockout in the second round. The two boxers were shown in O'Malley's tweet staring each other down as Bruce Buffer introduced them.
Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier discuss Sean O'Malley vs Aljamain Sterling
Rogan referred to the 135-pound weight class as a "murderer's row" and claimed that O'Malley has several possible opponents, including Merab Dvalishvili, Marlon Vera, and Petr Yan.
Rogan stated, “What a division. I mean this division is just a murderer’s row. It really really is. I believe Aljo’s probably going to stay in the division and try to get a rematch, but who knows, because you’ve got Merab (Dvalishvili) there, who’s his teammate and (Marlon) ‘Chito’ Vera (possibly) fighting for the title."
He further added, "Petr Yan lost a very close decision loss to Sean O’Malley, he’s still in the hunt. (There are) very, very intriguing fights for the champion.”
Rogan's comments on the bantamweight class were mirrored by Cormier, who pointed out that Sterling, who had the most straight title defenses in the division, had only done so three times.
Then, Cormier applauded O'Malley for holding his ground during the fight. When mentioning competitors like Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov, Cormier suggested that defeating Suga might require more than simply grappling.
He wondered, "So can Sean O’Malley be that guy? Can he be the guy that brings stability to this division? He’s got some great challengers, though. But after watching him defend takedowns in the way that he did, it’s hard to envision those guys just wrestling him.”
Joe Rogan expects rematch between Sean O'Malley and Aljamain Sterling
Sterling and O'Malley could return to the fight right after UFC 292, according to Rogan. The first thing Rogan said was that 'Funk Master' earned a rematch right away for his achievements in the division.
However, the UFC analyst later added that Sterling should get another victory under his belt before resuming his quest for the UFC championship owing to the manner in which he was defeated in the bout.
Rogan said, “It definitely makes [Aljamain Sterling] deserving of a rematch. When you get your lights put out in the second round like that, maybe it’s deserving of one fight and then he gets (another shot with) a very impressive performance."
In another social media post, Rogan praised Sean O'Malley for his performance in the UFC 292 main event, calling it a “masterpiece.”
