In the world of MMA, fortunes can change quickly. Aljamain Sterling defended his bantamweight title against Henry Cejudo at UFC 288, but rumors began swirling that the UFC wanted Sterling to defend his title in August against Sean O’Malley at UFC 292. Sterling was open to the idea, but had some lingering injury concerns to address. However, the UFC announced the fight anyway, which led to a war of words between Sterling and UFC President Dana White.

O’Malley’s coach, Tim Welch, acknowledges the situation is tough for Sterling, but emphasizes that it’s just business and the UFC knows what they’re doing. Welch speculates that both fighters might have made a similar amount of money in recent months, with O’Malley’s brand deals and merchandise company factoring in. Welch gives credit to Sterling as “the most dangerous bantamweight champion there’s ever been,” but admits that he had hoped to see O’Malley fight Cejudo for the title instead.

O’Malley has been out of action for ten months, whereas Sterling has fought three times in that span. However, Welch believes that this break could be a blessing for O’Malley as it has given his body time to heal and rest. Welch expects O’Malley to claim UFC gold against Sterling, praising his “reaction times” and “sharp striking” skills. The fight between O’Malley and Sterling is set to take place at the TD Garden in Boston on August 19th.