Sean O’Malley
In sure regards, the UFC 288 foremost occasion felt like a title eliminator moderately than a title combat. Not by way of expertise, however by way of promotion this rang true.
O’Malley was prominently featured entrance and heart cage-side and even introduced within the cage for a uncommon faceoff with Sterling instantly afterward.
Whereas his star energy in a pay-per-view headlining situation has not but been examined, it’s protected to say at this level O’Malley will probably draw the most important quantity of eyeballs to a bantamweight title combat in fairly a while.
The focused placement of this combat in Boston appears intentional, to pit a Irish-surnamed budding star towards a New Yorker with a title on the road.
The UFC is within the star-creating enterprise and alongside O’Malley has achieved a superb job of crafting him into one – a very rattling reliable expertise.
Whereas the jury continues to be out on who shall be favored to win, it appears indeniable who has the most important star energy on this division proper now.
It’s type of awkward for a champion to return in with much less buzz than a challenger, sure, however when it comes right down to pay-per-view buys, Sterling ought to (not less than internally) be thrilled issues are enjoying out as they’re.
Not solely will he probably pocket extra pay-per-view buys than he has earlier than, there’s a really stable probability he might steal O’Malley’s thunder and momentum, not less than partially.
A method or one other, circle (with pencil) Aug. 19 in your calendars, of us.
