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UFC 292 Post Fight Analysis

UFC 292 Post Fight Analysis

Sean O'Malley vs. Aljamain Sterling

BMF
August 22, 2023

Hello fight fans! UFC 292 took place this past Saturday at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts and the fights were pretty wicked. Let’s get going on the main card!

Marlon “Chito” Vera vs. Pedro Munhoz

Recap: Being a big Chito fan, I was very pleased to see him come out with a notably swifter start in round 1 than his usual pace, which also led to a small alleviation in my anxiety. As expected, Munhoz came out with high volume leg kicks. The fight ended up being a boxing match between the two with Chito’s precise jab landing and being the defining factor that ultimately gave him the win by decision. I don’t know if this would have changed the outcome, but I really would have liked to see Munhoz level change a bit more as he only had one take down attempt in the first round.

What’s Next: I would love to see an O’Malley vs. Chito 2. In the first fight, O’Malley had an injury that Chito capitalized on so this would be a great redemption fight. Chito is very calculated and O’Malley has improved tremendously since 2020. If this fight happens, Chito will need to find someone who can switch up footwork flawlessly for his fight camp. Not even Aljo thought O’Malley was as good as he was per the post fight conference.

Da’Mon “Da Monster” Blackshear vs. Mario Bautista

Recap: Mario Bautista was set to originally fight Cody Garbrandt but instead fought Da’Mon Blackshear due to an undisclosed injury. Blackshear not only made history last week by becoming the third fighter to submit an opponent via twister but tied the record for fastest turn around between fights with 7 days. The fight was a good display of striking and take down defense between the two. Blackshear came out strong in the first round but as the fight continued, he started to fade, which Bautista capitalized on along with his pressure and grappling. The fight came to a decision with the judges scoring it 29-28, 29-28, and 30-27 with Bautista winning the fight. I agree that Bautista won, but I strongly disagree with Steve Rita who scored the fight 30-27.

What’s Next: This is Bautista’s 5th win in a row and I wouldn’t be shocked if he breaks top 15 after this. He’s a well rounded fighter, and it should be interesting to see how he contends against some of the ranked guys.

“The Haitian Sensation” Neil Magny vs. “The Future” Ian Machado Garry

Recap: Ooo sheeeiiiitttt. Tensions escalated when Magny’s attempt at trash talking backfired during an interview with a reporter. What was meant to be smack talk turned into how Magny disciplines his son with beatings (insert face palm). This DID NOT sit well with Machado Garry who used that fire to beat Magny in a fight that can only be described as sheer dominance. Within the first 6 seconds of the fight, Machado Garry kicked Magny’s calf that brought him to the ground right away. Yes, 6 seconds in and this UFC veteran went down. Now, imagine three rounds of this. Three rounds of Machado Garry picking him apart. By the end of the fight, Magny needed a prosthetic leg. Kidding! But I wouldn’t be shocked if he needed a wheelchair after losing 30-26, 30-26, and 30-24.

What’s Next: Machado Garry wants a fight against Wonderboy, but Dana mentioned in the post conference that Wonderboy turned it down. Luque just fought, Brady was out with septic bursitis, and I doubt Garry will take another fight with Geoff Neal (the original contender who withdrew with an undisclosed injury). The fight that would be the most probable if Machado Garry really wants to fight in December would be #14 ranked JDM. As for Magny, I think he just needs to rest up that leg after that beating.

“Magnum” Zhang Weili vs. “The Challenger” Amanda Lemos

Recap: For five rounds, Zhang Weili demonstrated why she is the undisputed strawweight champion. Her insane work ethic was undeniably evident Saturday as she displayed her grappling skills against Lemos. There were moments of stand-up fighting, but Weili continuously brought the fight back to the ground. Weili won, but the judge who gave Lemos a round needs some glasses (or just needs to be fired).

What’s Next: Dana mentioned a fight in China. If that happens, the money maker for that would be Zhang Weili vs. Yan Xiaonan. Izzy would never share a card, but I’d love him on that one too because after all he is Chinese. As for Lemos, I would not mind a fight against Tatiana Suarez. Lemos has one punch knockout power and Suarez is currently undefeated and coming off a win against Andrade, who Lemos also beat.

Aljamain “The Funk Master” Sterling vs. “Suga” Sean O’Malley

Recap: WELCOME TO THE SUGA ERA!!! What a knockout performance by Sean O’Malley coming in as the underdog. Sterling and O’Malley were feeling each other out in the first round which the judges gave to Sterling, but that didn’t matter! In round 2 Sterling uncharacteristically went against his game plan to make the fight more interesting for the fans and then POW. It was like seeing McGregor and Aldo all over again except this time it was O’Malley’s right fist finding Sterling’s face. What an upset for the night!!! Haters hated on Aljo more and TD Garden lit up with cheers for Suga Sean. I will say, Aljo took the loss like a champ and gave credit where credit is due. For the Aljo haters out there, go watch his post fight conference. The man was a class act.

What’s Next: Aljo wants a rematch (he should have at least called that out), but Dana isn’t looking into that right now as Aljo said he was going to move up to the featherweight division. Considering he was pressed to take the fight, it might be prudent for him to rest up a bit and figure a game plan out with his team. I’d love to see another fight between these two again, but I think there will be at least one fight in between if it happens. As for O’Malley, he called out Chito. The last time these two fought was in 2020 where Chito won, so I can only imagine he’d be out for blood. Merab and Sandhagen are recovering from injury, so the Chito fight makes the most sense but only after O’Malley’s ribs recover. After Chito, I’d LOVE to see O’Malley vs. Sandhagen. What a chess match that would be, especially with both their footwork.