SUMMARY
- In a recent live stream, Aljo revealed to the fans the truth behind the UFC 292 PPV buys.
- Aljamain Sterling's recent statements have dispelled this long-standing rumor of Sean O'Malley being a big PPV star in the UFC.
Aljamain Sterling is all set to make his move up to featherweight after a dominant reign at bantamweight. Looking back on a mixed year, Sterling shared his thoughts on how he fared. Notably, while doing so, he also debunked the myth behind the UFC’s next ‘cash cow’, Sean O’Malley.
Previously, Sterling took on Henry Cejudo at UFC 288. One of the Jamaican’s more heated rivalries, he was easily able to come out on top. With that, surging contender Sean O’Malley was then declared the next challenger to the throne. Throughout the build-up to the fight, O’Malley posed as the ‘A-side’ before eventually claiming the title.
Looking back, ‘Funkmaster‘ reveals his regret for having accepted the fight against O’Malley. In a recent live stream, Aljo revealed to the fans the truth behind the UFC 292 PPV buys. “If I had any idea this is what the numbers would have been, if I could have predicted that this is what it would have been, my a** would have waited and taken my vacation then.” Further, he added, “I rolled the dice. I trusted that the bag was going to be this blow-me-away kind of thing, bigger than all the other ones — it wasn’t”.
All things considered, Sterling still got a hefty payday for his loss to O’Malley. However, his only regret was believing that the fight would fetch him a mega payday. Not only that, but the former champ also revealed that he was forced into his second title defense in 4 months by the UFC due to ‘scheduling reasons’.
Did Sean O’Malley lie about the UFC 292 PPV buys?
Thus, Aljamain Sterling’s recent statements have dispelled this long-standing rumor of Sean O’Malley being a big PPV star in the UFC. Although he has seen a meteoric rise in the sport, O’Malley is still a long way from being the next Conor McGregor. Moreover, many believe ‘Sugar’ has also been on the receiving end of ‘Dana White privilege’.
Following his KO win over Sterling, the recap of the entire fight-ending sequence was uploaded on the UFC’s official YouTube channel. For those unaware, this was the first time in UFC history that such a thing had happened. To make matters more interesting, such a thing hasn’t been repeated ever since. At the time, many believed that the UFC was building O’Malley to be their next big superstar.
Henry sayin Me and Aljo “only” did 350k ppv according to his (girlfriend ) source. I just talked to the ufc and I heard upwards of 570k … legit no kizzy not making this up heard Aljo vs Henry did 135k. Also Henry 5’2 lol
— Sean O’Malley (@SugaSeanMMA) August 31, 2023
However, as former double champ Henry Cejudo previously revealed, ‘Suga’ is not a big PPV draw. Notably, per Cejudo’s sources, ESPN, UFC 292 did 300,000 and 350,000 pay-per-view (PPV) buys. This is shockingly low, as Sterling vs. Cejudo at UFC 288, reportedly did double the amount of buys. For the most part, O’Malley has vehemently denied the claims, claiming the number to be 570k instead.
At the same time, Sean also debunked rumors of Cejudo’s 700,000 buys. Taking to ‘X’, he revealed the UFC 288 buys to be less than 150,000 in reality. Currently, the 29-year-old is set to take on Marlon Vera at UFC 299. In what has shaped up to be one of the more stacked cards of next year, fans believe that O’Malley needs help bringing in buys. Thus, O’Malley’s hype and status will become more apparent after his next fight.