Along with many thrilling memories, UFC 292 gave fans a new UFC bantamweight champ! To everyone’s surprise, Sean O’Malley finished Aljamain Sterling in the second round via TKO. After knocking Sterling down with a right, O’Malley followed with some powerful strikes.

The misery soon ended for ‘Funk Master’ as referee Marc Goddard called an end to the fight after O’Malley’s ground strikes. Soon after the fight, some fans triggered the debate of whether the fight ended in an early stoppage. Now, the former champion himself has given a bold statement about this.

Aljamain Sterling thinks his UFC 292 loss to Sean O’Malley was an early stoppage

Sharing his perspective, Sterling acknowledged the divided opinions surrounding the stoppage. Yet, he firmly maintained his stance. Throughout the fight, the ‘Funk Master’ emphasized that he remained conscious and actively defended himself.

“I do think the stoppage though man. I know it’s just some… There are so many people who are split on this,” he said. “There was not one moment where I was actually out. Where I wasn’t defending myself, I thought when I was moving, kicking my feet trying to…The guy was going batsh*t crazy, throwing all these hammer fists trying to pick his shots,” the former champ added.

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Describing the moments leading to the stoppage, Sterling highlighted O’Malley’s intense offensive flurry. Despite a few blows landing, the former champ asserted that none had inflicted the kind of impactful damage that would warrant an immediate halt. “A couple of them landed, but nothing where I was like ‘Yo I’m rocked and concussed from the impact of the punch,” he added.

Could Aljamain Sterling vs. Sean O’Malley have ended in a different manner?

The 34-year-old acknowledged that the fight’s outcome might not have reversed miraculously. However, he contended that various alternate scenarios could have played out. “I’m not saying I would have come back in miraculously won that fight. Maybe he puts me out cold,” he said.

“Or I get to the leg and he gets tired and maybe I get to take down and maybe it’s a crazy five-round war. We now will just never know”. In sum, Aljamain Sterling’s reflections on his title loss encompassed his belief in the stoppage’s untimeliness.

Sterling, the former champ, voiced his disagreement with the stoppage, asserting his conscious defense throughout the intense encounter. His perspective highlights the referee’s role in pivotal matches, sparking an ongoing debate. This leaves room for passionate discussion on whether Marc Goddard’s decision was right or premature, despite speculative alternate outcomes. Do you think referee Goddard did the right thing at the UFC 292? Write your opinions in the comments section below.

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