“The Suga Show” lives on.
What was thought by some to be nothing more than a hype job turned out to be the real deal as Sean O’Malley won the UFC bantamweight championship with a second-round TKO against Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292, which took place at the TD Garden in Boston.
The viral sensation who made waves back in 2017 on Dana White’s Contender Series made a swift ascent through the bantamweight rankings and faced the man who many called the greatest bantamweight of all time in Sterling. And the challenge for the fan favorite was assumed to be how he would deal with Sterling’s world-class grappling.
We never had a chance to find out.
After an initial frame where O’Malley and Sterling circled each other, Sterling opened the second round looking to close the distance and secure a takedown. After an initial failed takedown attempt, Sterling tried to get inside by throwing a left hand. But the pinpoint striking and accuracy of O’Malley saw the challenger slide back and fire a picture-perfect counter right hand that sank the champion.
With an arena full of O’Malley fans roaring, the colorful challenger swarmed Sterling with strikes until he got the finish at the 51-second mark.
All of the naysayers for O’Malley were silenced as the 28-year-old not only has UFC gold around his waist but is now one of the biggest stars in the UFC.
“The Suga Show” may have only just begun.
Here’s how it all went down in Boston.
UFC 292 results, highlights
Sean O’Malley knocks out Aljamain Sterling to claim bantamweight title
Round Two: Body kick from Sterling. O’Malley slips on a kick and Sterling swallows him up but O’Malley escapes. O’Malley with a counter right hand and down goes Sterling! A few follow up strikes later and it is all over! New champion!
SN Unofficial Scorecard: —
Round One: Sterling with leg kicks and looking to close the distance. Body jab from O’Malley. Stiff jab from O’Malley. Body kick from Sterling. Good leg kick from Sterling and he follows with another. Not a lot happening. Leg pick from Sterling and he presses O’Malley along the fence and lands some strikes as the round comes to a close.
SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9 Sterling
12:40 a.m. ET: It’s main event time as Aljamain Sterling defends his bantamweight title against Sean O’Malley next.
Zhang Weili retains title with dominant decision over Amanda Lemos
Scores: 50-43, 50-44 & 49-45
12:38 a.m. ET: That was an absolute clinic from Zhang Weili who never seemed to be in an ounce of trouble for the 25 minutes she was in the Octagon. Lemos never quit but couldn’t stop the takedowns. The scores were reflective of the domination as Zhang will await the next challenge for her title.
Round Five: Zhang counters a kick with a right hand and down goes Lemos. Zhang swarms in for the finish and is landing some hard ground and pound. Lemos goes for a kneebar but Zhang continues to pound on her. Zhang has the crucifix from the back and continues to batter Lemos. She can’t get the finish as Lemos continues to try to find a way out. Lemos is back to her feet but Zhang takes her back down to the canvas. Lemos fights her way back to her feet with seconds left for a moral victory but this was total domination from Zhang.
SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9 Zhang (50-45 Zhang)
Round Four: Lemos hasn’t given up yet but she’s being outclassed. They spend the first minute standing but Zhang is landing leg kicks. Lemos sneaks in a counter right hand. Not a lot happening as Zhang may be taking the round off. Lemos lands a right hand that knocks Zhang off balance. Lemos lands a right hand and Zhang has had enough. She swoops in for a double leg and takes Lemos down. Lemos goes for the d’arce again but Zhang escapes. Lemos gets to her feet following the submission attempt. Lemos launching bombs but can’t quite connect as the round comes to an end.
SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9 Zhang (40-36 Zhang)
Round Three: Lemos tries to strike at range but Zhang closes the distance and the two wrestle along the fence. Zhang slams a pair of elbows, picks the leg and secures another takedown. Zhang gets to her feet and kicks at Lemos’ legs before diving back into side control. Zhang is on Lemos’ back again. Lemos gets Zhang back to half guard. They get back to their feet and Zhang works in some elbows in the clinch. They separate and Zhang lands a left and a right hand. Total domination thus far.
SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9 Zhang (30-27 Zhang)
Round Two: Hard right hand by Lemos. Side kick from Zhang backs Lemos into the fence but Lemos bounces back with a right hand. Zhang closes the distance and slams Lemos on her back. Zhang nearly mounts Lemos. Lemos nearly kicks her off but Zhang crowds her and takes her back. Lemos nearly escapes but Zhang returns to top pressure and lands short elbows. Lemos manages to get to her feet but not for long as she’s muscled back down to the mat.
SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9 Zhang (20-18 Zhang)
Round One: Zhang uses a leg kick to take Lemos down in the first minute and stacks her. She transitions into side control. Lemos attempts to scoot to the fence to help her get back to her feet but Zhang begins to pound on her with left hands from half guard. Bombs away from Zhang. Lemos snatches a d’arce choke! Zhang lands knees and escapes. Takes Lemos’ back and is slugging away at her. Lemos survives the barrage with a minute left. Zhang continues to pound on her and not giving Lemos room to breathe. Lemos tries another d’arce and gets slammed at the end of the round.
SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9 Zhang
11:53 p.m. ET: The first of two title fights is up next as Zhang Weili defends her women’s strawweight title against the hard-hitting Amanda Lemos. And from here on out were are going to round-by-round coverage.
Ian Garry punishes Neil Magny with leg kicks for dominant decision win
Scores: 30-26, 30-26 & 30-24
11:45 p.m. ET: This was an absolute clinic from Ian Garry as he took a decision with a performance that was anchored by a brutal leg kick assault. Garry dropped Magny with the first leg kick he threw and was relentless from that point as he severely compromised Magny’s leg with each chopping kick. Credit to Magny for being too tough for his own good as he refused to quit despite being barely able to stand. But this was a breakout performance from Garry and he wants to face Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson next.
11:26 p.m. ET: Ian Machado Garry faces Neil Magny next and this fight turned into a real blood feud over the past few days as the war of words became heated. But can Garry get by the seasoned veteran?
Mario Bautista outworks Da’mon Blackshear for decision win
Scores: 30-27, 29-28 & 29-28
11:17 p.m. ET: Mario Bautista outlasted Da’mon Blackshear to extend his winning streak to five with a unanimous decision win. But it’s been a night of questionable scorecards as the 30-27 score for Bautista seemed a bit wide considering that Blackshear had an excellent opening frame with multiple takedowns. Nevertheless, the cardio from Bautista came into play as he grew stronger midway through the second round and carried that momentum into the final frame with great takedowns and work inside the clinch.
10:51 p.m. ET: Da’mon Blackshear is back in action just a week following his submission win to face Mario Bautista next. Blackshear steps in on short notice after Cody Garbrandt was forced out of the fight with an injury.
‘Chito’ Vera takes decision over Munhoz behind powerful jab
Scores: 30-27, 30-27 & 29-28
10:46 p.m. ET: Working behind a strong jab, Marlon “Chito” Vera took a unanimous decision over Pedro Munhoz in a standup affair. It was a closer fight that the two scorecards of 30-27 had but the right man won as Vera’s thudding jab controlled the pace of the fight. With the win, Vera is in line with a rematch with Sean O’Malley regardless of how the main event turns out.
10:27 p.m. ET: We’re kicking off the UFC 292 main card with a battle of former Sean O’Malley opponents in Marlon Vera and Pedro Munhoz. The narrative is pretty clear that the winner would likely be in line to face O’Malley should “The Suga Show” become champion tonight.
10:03 p.m. ET: Chris Weidman’s return to the Octagon after breaking his leg two years ago against Uriah Hall didn’t go as planned as he fell short against Brad Tavares. Weidman’s leg was compromised early from leg kicks and he just couldn’t find a rhythm as Tavares dominated with his striking and takedown defense to earn a unanimous decision. Is this the end of Weidman?
9:19 p.m. ET: We’ve been waiting for Gregory Rodrigues to put his toolbox on display and “Robocop” did just that with a brutal dismantling of Denis Tiuliulin with a first-round KO. A brilliant takedown, a swift transition to mount and a brutal series of elbows called it a night. If Rodrigues can do this regularly, he’ll be a problem moving forward for the division.
Gregory gets it done with AUTHORITY 😤 #UFC292 pic.twitter.com/X3Sn7AkYGh
— UFC (@ufc) August 20, 2023
9:03 p.m. ET: Kurt Holobaugh pulled off a slick transition to a triangle choke to secure a second-round submission against Austin Hubbard and win the TUF lightweight finale. He’s back in the UFC after four years and called out Paddy Pimblett.
That @KurtHolobaugh transition is everything 👏 #TUF31 #UFC292 pic.twitter.com/KtOjrIRLVT
— UFC (@ufc) August 20, 2023
8:35 p.m. ET: We have a new frontrunner for Fight of the Night as Cody Gibson and Brad Katona had a hell of a battle in the finale. But it was Katona who outlasted Gibson to win the TUF bantamweight finals and make his way back to the UFC with a unanimous decision victory.
8:07 p.m. ET: After an entertaining trio of fights on the UFC Fight Pass prelims that saw a potential Fight of the Night candidate between Petroski and Meerschaert along with Natalia Silva and Karine Silva making a name for themselves, it’s time for The Ultimate Fighter bantamweight finale between Cody Gibson and Brad Katona.
How about the SQUEEZE on this @KillerKarine sub 😳 #UFC292 pic.twitter.com/UyZJ59cmLr
— UFC (@ufc) August 19, 2023
When is UFC 292: Aljamain Sterling vs. Sean O’Malley?
In the U.S., UFC 292 starts with the early prelims at 6 p.m. ET. The prelims start at 8 p.m. ET while the main card is at 10 p.m. ET. Sterling and O’Malley should make their way to the octagon around 12:15 a.m. ET, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
| Region | Date | Early Prelims Start Time | Prelims Start Time | Main Card Start Time | Main Event Ring Walks (approx.) |
| USA and Canada (ET) | Sat. August 19 | 6 p.m. ET | 8 p.m. ET | 10 p.m. ET | 12:15 a.m. ET |
| USA and Canada (PT) | Sat. August 19 | 3 p.m. PT | 5 p.m. PT | 7 p.m. PT | 9:15 p.m. PT |
| UK and Ireland | Sun. August 20 | 11 p.m. BST | 1 a.m. BST | 3 a.m. BST | 5:15 a.m. BST |
| Australia | Sun. August 20 | 8 a.m. AEST | 10 a.m. AEST | 12 p.m. AEST | 2:15 p.m. AEST |
MORE: Breaking down the format of the PFL Playoffs
How to watch UFC 292: Aljamain Sterling vs. Sean O’Malley
| Country | Date | Channel + Live Stream (main card) |
| United States | Sat. August 19 | ESPN+, ESPN PPV |
| Canada | Sat. August 19 | BELL, Rogers, Shaw, SaskTel, Videotron, Telus, Eastlink, UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass |
| United Kingdom | Sun. August 20 | TNT Sports |
| Australia | Sun. August 20 | Main Event, Kayo Sports, Fetch TV, UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass |
Aljamain Sterling vs. Sean O’Malley PPV price: How much does UFC 292 cost?
- $79.99 (current ESPN+ subscribers)
- $124.98 (new subscribers)
In the U.S., the UFC 292 main card is available via pay-per-view on ESPN+, which also requires a subscription. The PPV price for UFC 292 is $79.99 for current subscribers. New subscribers can pay a bundle price of $124.98 for the UFC 292 pay-per-view and an ESPN+ annual subscription, which offers savings of more than 30 percent.
MORE: Sign up to watch the UFC 292 PPV, exclusively on ESPN+
| Product | Prices |
|---|---|
| ESPN+ Monthly Subscription | $9.99/month |
| ESPN+ Annual Subscription | $99.99/year |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu Ad-Supported | $12.99/month |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu No-Ads | $19.99/month |
| UFC PPV Standalone | $79.99 each |
| UFC PPV Package (UFC PPV & ESPN+ Annual) | $124.98, then $99.99/year |
| UFC PPV & The Disney Bundle |
$79.99, then $12.99/month |
Click here to learn about the different pricing and bundling options with the ESPN+ platform.
UFC 292 results
Main card
- Sean O’Malley def. Aljamain Sterling via 2nd round TKO (punches) (:51) for the UFC bantamweight title (:51)
- Zhang Weili def. Amanda Lemos via unanimous decision (50-43, 50-44 & 49-45) to retain the UFC strawweight title
- Ian Machado Garry def. Neil Magny via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26 & 30-24)
- Mario Bautista def. Da’mon Blackshear via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28 & 30-27)
- Marlon Vera def. Pedro Munhoz via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27 & 29-28)
Prelims
- Brad Tavares def. Chris Weidman via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27)
- Gregory Rodrigues def. Denis Tiuliulin via 1st round KO (elbows) (1:43)
- Kurt Holobaugh def. Austin Hubbard via 2nd round submission (triangle choke) (2:39) to win TUF Ultimate Fighter lightweight final
- Brad Katona def. Cody Gibson via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28 & 30-27) to win TUF bantamweight final
Early Prelims
- Andre Petroski def. Gerald Meerschaert via split decision (29-28, 29-28 & 28-29)
- Natalia Silva def. Andrea Lee via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27)
- Karine Silva def. Maryna Moroz via 1st round submission (guillotine choke) (4:59)
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