<p>Aug 20, 2023, 02:12 AM ET</p>
<p>Sean O’Malley not only changed the bantamweight division, but the entire landscape of the UFC after finishing Aljamain Sterling. Zhang Weili cruised in her title defense, while Ian Machado Garry remained undefeated. Marc Raimondi, Brett Okamoto, Jeff Wagenheim and Carlos Contreras Legaspi highlight the biggest takeaways from a big night in Boston.</p>
<h2>Sean O’Malley: A Game Changer</h2>
<p>Sean O’Malley is a rarity in mixed martial arts, a fighter who resonates passionately with fans who soak in his sweet skills but recognize that they are just the tip of a Technicolor iceberg. He’s thrilling to watch. His explosiveness in a fight always threatens to make an arena shake to its foundation. And beyond the cage, O’Malley has a natural way with words along with a swagger and style that cannot be faked. You either have it or you don’t. And “Suga Sean” has it. Sound like anyone else who has ruled the sport?</p>
<h2>O’Malley’s Victory Resembles McGregor’s Rise</h2>
<p>Sure, it sounds hyperbolic and perhaps lazy to pass off anyone as a new Conor McGregor, but when O’Malley dropped UFC men’s bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling with a counter right hand early in Round 2 of their UFC 292 main event on Saturday at TD Garden in Boston, it was eerily reminiscent of the night back in 2015 when McGregor clipped featherweight king Jose Aldo to capture his first championship. Everyone but the fighter himself doubted McGregor on that night eight years ago in his bid to unseat a legend who at the time was acclaimed as the greatest 145-pounder. And many doubted O’Malley in the leadup to this fight against perhaps history’s greatest bantamweight. It was not just the expectations that were similar for both star challengers. So were their paths to victory. Both McGregor and O’Malley used their storied opponents’ aggression against them, utilizing timing and precision to elevate themselves to the top of the sport. O’Malley displayed a quieter confidence this past week than McGregor had way back when. Suga Sean mixed humility in with his boldness. But like the superstar who came before him, O’Malley instantly put an end to any talk about him being a product of hype. That was a common narrative as O’Malley rose through the 135-pound ranks. He came into UFC 292 with just one defeat in his 18 bouts, but there long had been rumblings that the UFC was feeding him winnable fights in order to make the most of his audacious personality and colorful appearance. Even after Suga Sean defeated former 135-pound champion Petr Yan last October, many found a reason to discredit the big win, which came by split decision. But now? There is no way to doubt O’Malley any longer. (OK, no reasonable way to throw shade at the new champ, as we all know social media perpetually finds a way to rain on every parade.) The challenger, a 2-1 betting underdog, fought an even, uneventful Round 1 against the man with more bantamweight victories in the UFC than anyone. Then, at the start of the second round, when Sterling tried to put his elite wrestling to use, O’Malley fended off a takedown attempt. When the champ then tried to close the distance by throwing a left hand, O’Malley evaded the punch and landed one of his own. A hard one. It dropped Sterling, and O’Malley pounced with punches to finish the job. And so ended what one might call the pilot episode of The Suga Show, with much more entertainment — and greatness? — to come. — Wagenheim</p>
<h2>Next Opponents for O’Malley and Sterling</h2>
<p>For the new champ, Cory Sandhagen should be next. You might say all of that put together means he should get what he wants: A rematch against Marlon “Chito” Vera. And I’ll tell you what: I love that fight. Looooove that fight. It’s honestly one of the top fights the UFC can make in terms of storyline and stylistic matchup. But we cannot give Vera that fight when Sandhagen is just sitting there, ready and willing to go. Sandhagen just beat Vera in March. Granted, it was a split decision. I do think there’s a time and place to have someone skip ahead in line — it’s all case by case — but this isn’t one that warrants it for me. Between O’Malley, Sandhagen, and Vera, you have three of the most entertaining, skilled fighters in the sport. They all deserve the biggest fights possible. But right now, Vera is the least deserving of the three, even though he has history with the champ. It should be O’Malley vs. Sandhagen in December. As a wild card, I’d lean toward Vera. Stranger things have happened. Much, much stranger things. O’Malley is quickly turning into superstar status, and that counts for something. If he starts calling out a particular name, that matchup generates heat and it makes the UFC obviously want it even more. (And by the way, if you’re wondering where Merab Dvalishvili’s name is in all of this, it’s unclear at this point whether he’d be ready to go by December. If he is, his name obviously gets added into this mix.) Will Aljamain Sterling get another shot at the bantamweight belt? As for Sterling, I think Dominick Cruz should be next. This one seems pretty darn obvious, does it not? The “bantamweight GOAT” conversation comes down to two names: Sterling and Cruz. Cruz has been hunting Sterling for a while because Sterling was the champ. Cruz hasn’t fought in a year, since losing via knockout to Vera. He’s still one of the biggest names in the division and he’s still highly ranked. It’s a good fight for Sterling to take. He’s not going to move up to 145 off this, and there’s good street cred in beating a guy like Cruz. I’d have Rob Font as a wild card, and I don’t love this matchup because there’s not really much of a story here. It’s kind of a big drop for Sterling, who was essentially one win away from cleaning out the division. Now, you’re telling me he has to face the No. 7-ranked guy, off one loss? It’s not ideal, certainly. Because he’s already fought so many of the names at the top, it’s one of the few fresh matchups that’s there, and it’s also a matchup between two guys coming off a loss. I doubt this one ends up being what happens, but you can picture it for the reasons stated. Bring on the dream fight at strawweight</p>
<h2>What’s Next for Zhang Weili</h2>
<p>Alright, there’s no disputing it. Zhang Weili is the No. 1 female pound-for-pound fighter in the world. I still had Valentina Shevchenko as No. 1 (I know she lost her last fight, but her body of work still called for it in my opinion), but I can’t deny Zhang the No. 1 spot after what I just witnessed. She is impressive, so with that in mind, how do you book her moving forward? I suppose you could do Yan Xiaonan. Xiaonan is deserving. By the UFC’s ranking, she’s next in line, and her résumé warrants it … but we’re talking about the best female fighter on the planet right now, and I want it to be the most interesting matchup possible. There’s no doubt that the most interesting possible matchup right now is Tatiana Suarez. Everybody has been waiting to see Suarez in a title fight since she came out of “The Ultimate Fighter” in 2016. Injuries have slowed her progress, but every time she competes, she comes across as more or less invincible. We don’t need any more buildup around this one. It’s the biggest title fight out there for Zhang, and Suarez is deserving based on how impressive her wins have been. Book it now. Yan has a rock-solid case to be next, but all of that pales in comparison, in my opinion, to the upside of Suarez.</p>
<h2>Chris Weidman’s Return from Injury</h2>
<p>I’ve been covering mixed martial arts full-time since 2009, and one of the most memorable interviews I’ve had during that time was during a media lunch with Chris Weidman in 2013. It was at the Four Seasons in Manhattan, and as I arrived for the interview, I was told Weidman was running late because he was signing autographs on his way out. While waiting for him, a deluge of UFC fans entered the lobby and made a beeline toward Weidman. He was just a few weeks away from his first fight against Anderson Silva, and his star was rising. It wasn’t hard to see why with one interaction. Weidman gave everyone in that hotel lobby time, patience, and warmth. I’ll never forget it, and I’ve rooted for Weidman ever since. On Saturday night in Boston, Weidman fought the first fight of his comeback from a serious leg injury. Brad Tavares beat Weidman by unanimous decision, but the outcome will be a mere footnote to what Weidman accomplished. The former middleweight champion shattered his leg less than 10 months ago in a fight against Uriah Hall. The injury was gruesome and could potentially end a career, let alone one in which the athlete is hoping to be as competitive as ever. The connection Weidman quickly made with a new team at Jason Strout MMA apparently paid mostly emotional dividends, as he embarked on this comeback. Clearly, his standing in the division was altered with this loss. Certainly, his days as a title challenger could be over. But hope remains that Weidman’s comeback story, in whatever form it takes, is still being written.</p>