What a show. And, after a perfectly orchestrated beatdown in Beantown, the UFC's new bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley has only grown his star status.
Perhaps "Suga Sean" hasn't quite reached Conor McGregor-esque fame, but he's trending in the right direction after defeating Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292.
THE FULL @SUGASEANMMA KNOCKOUT!
— UFC (@ufc) August 20, 2023
A right hand that will live on in UFC history at #UFC292! pic.twitter.com/jM5MkPTxqK
Here's a UFC 292 with a few notes on the betting fallout from Saturday's event at TD Garden.
UFC 292 Recap: O'Malley's For Real, but Who's Next?
Despite admitting his nervousness before the fight, O'Malley never wavered in the cage. He stayed composed, and when Sterling blitzed, Suga Sean sniped him for a TKO win.
The moment was incredible. The rowdy Boston crowd roared for its new hero. O'Malley achieved a lifelong dream. But now what? The champ can go in a few different directions.
O'Malley Next Opponent Odds: Merab Dvalishvili? Chito Vera?
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Marlon Vera | -110 |
| Sean O'Malley | -110 |
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Merab Dvalishvili | -110 |
| Sean O'Malley | -110 |
Odds as of August 21
So, it appears O'Malley's days as a juicy underdog are finished. That's a big takeaway. All the bold bettors who backed him from his days on the Contender Series will no longer reap such great value.
Merab will, in all likelihood, be Sean's next opponent. The Georgian fights like Sterling but with the dial cranked to 11.
Of course, O'Malley might get the chance to avenge his only pro loss, too. Marlon Vera defeated O'Malley at UFC 252, and Suga's been clamoring for a second chance. After "Chito" beat Pedro Munhoz at UFC 292, he could easily step up.
Sterling Ready for Jump To Featherweight
After his loss, Sterling gets a crack at featherweight, a division with another boatload of painful matchups.
You can't match-make until the card is over. Many pundits, myself included, pegged Sterling vs Volkanovski as the next great fight to make. O'Malley snatched that opportunity away, leaving "Funk Master" wondering if he's capable of beating the Australian featherweight champion.
Aljo non-committal on 145 afterwards. “If he caught me with that, I can’t imagine what Volkanovski would do.”
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) August 20, 2023
UFC 292 Recap: Betting Trends
Some quick betting takeaways from the card.
oVERs Cash
After a parade of blood at UFC 291, this card in Boston wound up being a tad more peaceful. There were only four finishes (including the main event), leaving the remaining eight fights to GO THE DISTANCE.
Some notable OVERs came in the Zhang Weili-Amanda Lemos fight and Ian Garry vs Neil Magny matchup, two fights that were chalked to end early.
Tough Day For The 'Dogs
Underdogs finished 2-10 at UFC 292.
O'Malley's big KO and Kurt Holobaugh's sneaky submission to win The Ultimate Fighter were the only two upsets on the card. Everything else went according to plan, and it wasn't much of a sweat either.
Andre Petroski's split-decision win over Gerald Meerschaert (+190) came close to being the third upset of the evening.
