Aljamain Sterling, a seasoned and skilled UFC fighter, is gearing up for his upcoming headliner with Sean O’Malley at UFC 292. Sterling has faced numerous favored opponents in the past and believes this is no different. Sterling feels his promoter has done everything it can to prevent him from reaching the top.

Sterling sees the Aug. 19 headliner as another chance to prove himself and silence his critics by defeating an opponent he believes has been given favorable treatment. O’Malley’s style of fighting has rubbed Sterling the wrong way, and he believes that his opponent has only faced stationary fighters up until now.

Sterling knows that a fighter with good footwork or a wrestler will pose a real challenge for O’Malley and make it a completely different fight. The mentality of proving his doubters wrong is what drives Sterling to excel, and he sees the UFC as a father figure that he needs to prove himself to.

Sterling’s previous title defense against Henry Cejudo was a huge success, breaking the record for most consecutive bantamweight title defenses. Although many assumed that Cejudo’s Olympic-level wrestling skills would be too much for Sterling, he proved them wrong by outworking him in the octagon.

Sterling attributes his mental toughness to his upbringing and challenging life experiences, including growing up with an abusive father who was often absent. Several of Sterling’s past opponents, especially ex-champion Petr Yan, have pushed him to excel. However, O’Malley has given him even more motivation to succeed, as he believes the UFC had hyped him up too much.

O’Malley’s popularity has earned him a spot in the main cards of UFC pay-per-view events, but Sterling plans to prove that popularity doesn’t always equate to talent. Sterling has been preparing extensively for the fight, pushing himself to the limit with tough training drills.

Sterling also scoffed at O’Malley’s use of a balloon-like device to improve breathing, relying instead on the traditional toughness of a trained wrestler. Sterling is the favorite to defend his title against O’Malley, who is considered an underdog in most lines. Sterling is determined to prove his worth in the ring and show the world that he is a fighter to be reckoned with.