Aljamain Sterling recently opened up about the events that led to the heated altercation with Sean O’Malley’s entourage before Noche UFC 306.
Sterling’s close friend and training partner, Merab Dvalishvili, avenged O’Malley with a unanimous decision victory to capture the UFC bantamweight title last Saturday at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada.
In the lead-up to the fight, tensions between the opponents remained mostly verbal, with nothing crossing into personal or physical territory. However, things escalated during the final face-offs last Friday. Sterling and Dvalishvili found themselves in a fiery confrontation with several rowdy “Suga” fans outside the arena while “The Machine” was taking photos with his supporters.
The former UFC bantamweight champion took to X to clarify that the individuals taunting them were not just random fans but actually two of O’Malley’s close friends, including his podcast producer, Ricky Schmitt.
Sterling Shares His Reason For Not Retaliating Against O’Malley’s Friends
During a recent appearance on SiriusXM’s MMA Today, “Funk Master” opened up about the scuffle with O’Malley’s friends outside the Sphere. Sterling explained that both he and Dvalishvili chose not to engage with the naysayers, as they didn’t want to jeopardize the fight they had worked so hard to prepare for by getting caught up in unnecessary drama.
“When Merab went on the bus after the Friday evening face-off, we saw a whole bunch of people waving him down, so he gets off the bus to go over,” Sterling said. “Now, his minions Sch*tty and the other skinny twig were on the other side. I see these guys screaming and yelling, coming all the way back over to be a*holes. I was like, alright guys, the presser’s done, and now you’re in our personal space. I told him, ‘Dude, you’re really close now, and you’re being straight-up disrespectful. I’m right here now, so if you wanna sit behind this, you’re not very far away from me.'”
Sterling went on to explain that people have become far too bold in mocking and antagonizing others, especially in public. He hinted that the situation would have played out very differently if there hadn’t been cameras around to capture the scene.
“People have gotten way too comfortable with just being complete aholes and thinking that there’s nothing wrong with them being aholes. We’re not in the arena where you can chirp and pay up money, now we’re in our personal space, we’re working and being professional with what we’re trying to do, and you’re literally walking over and being a complete prick. There’s nothing cool about that whatsoever.”
Sterling was set to face Movsar Evloev in a crucial featherweight clash at UFC 308 on October 5, at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. However, earlier this week, “Funk Master” revealed that he was unfortunately forced to pull out of the bout due to an elbow injury.
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