Ray Longo displayed a positive attitude towards Sterling’s defeat at the UFC 292 match. Instead of criticizing Sterling publicly, he praised his better part of the performance and how Sterling could do better next time. If that’s not what a great coach is, then what is?
Continue reading to find out exactly what Longo said regarding this match!
Ray Longo said Aljamin Sterling had the option of forcing Sean O’Malley into a match reminiscent of Adesanya vs. Romero, but he chose not to. In this Saturday’s main event at Boston’s TD Garden, Sterling (23-4 MMA, 15-4 UFC) was defeated by Sean O’Malley (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) via second-round TKO. Longo commended O’Malley for timing the right hand accurately, but he believes Sterling was winning the fight up until the final bell. Longo also stated Sterling’s concern that his bout with O’Malley would be similar to Israel Adesanya’s unsuccessful championship defense against Yoel Romero at UFC 248, which might have confused him.
Longo commented on the Anik & Florian Podcast that the fighter in question was skilled. He acknowledged the fighter’s strong, striking abilities. According to Longo, the judges unanimously scored the first round in favor of Aljo, and he believed it was justified. He mentioned that during the breaks between rounds, he advised Aljo to incorporate more powerful kicks to disrupt the opponent’s punches. Longo observed that in the first round, the opponent seemed hesitant to fully engage, possibly due to concerns about takedowns. He acknowledged that this anticipation was likely but not confirmed. Longo speculated that the opponent expected Aljo to replicate his second-round performance in the first round.
Aljo’s perspective was that he could have adopted a strategy similar to the Adesanya vs. Romero fight, which might not have pleased the audience. This was surprising because Aljo usually didn’t appear to prioritize crowd reaction. Aljo’s intention was to place pressure on his opponent, as he would have been trailing by two rounds if Aljo had continued with the same approach as the first round. Longo believed that the opponent didn’t initiate much action, possibly due to waiting for Aljo to attempt a takedown. There was also a mention that the opponent might have been dealing with a rib injury, contributing to his decision to maintain distance. Despite this, Longo commended the opponent’s accuracy and his successful counterstrikes.
After successfully defending his title against Henry Cejudo at UFC 288 in May, Sterling was initially against making a short turnaround, but he eventually gave in. According to Longo, the UFC ultimately got their wish. Longo pointed out that things were the way they were, and he mentioned that the fighter had entered the octagon after three months. Longo also said that the fighter wasn’t eager to take part a few months back, but once they committed, they had a good training period. Longo made it clear that he wasn’t giving any excuses. He said that the UFC had certain things they wanted, and those things were definitely achieved.
What were your views on how the fight went? Did you guys agree with Lango’s judging of the match? Let us know in the comment section!
