Israel Adesanya picks Sean O'Malley to upset Aljamain Sterling: 'Sometimes it's time, it's destiny'

Israel Adesanya thinks Sean O'Malley beating Aljamain Sterling would make for a great storyline.

Sterling (23-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) defends his bantamweight title against O’Malley (16-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 292 main event at TD Garden in Boston. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ABC/ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.

UFC middleweight champion Adesanya, a former kickboxing champion, is a fan of O’Malley’s striking style and thinks his ground game is underrated.

“They can both strike and they can both grapple,” Adesanya said on his YouTube channel. “I like Sean’s flow, his work, the way he fights, the way he moves, his footwork, his taunts, his kicks, his selection, his combinations, the way he picks his shots, the way he darts in and out.

“It’s pretty to watch. I’s beautiful to watch. I’m an artist and I appreciate beautiful art. Same with Aljamain, the way he just sticks to people, and just his body – he’s shredded at 135. Once he catches you, it’s like, boom: You have a muscle-ninja turtle on your back.”

Adesanya sees a clear game plan for both fighters, but just has a gut feeling that it’s O’Malley’s time to shine.

“Aljamain’s grabbing a hold of him and beat him up, Sean keeping him away with good footwork, good positioning and pinpoint striking,” Adesanya said. “Also, Sean’s slick on the ground. Scramble for your life. Do not let him get settled because the more he settles, the stronger he gets.

“If it goes the distance, I think he can do it. O’Malley’s locked in. I think he can do five rounds. I’m going to go Sean, official pick. I’m going to go Sean with this one. Sometimes you just feel like it’s time, it’s destiny.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 292.