UFC 292 is at the horizon as Aljamain Sterling and Sean O’Malley headline the TD Farmland in Boston this weekend. Saturday’s showdown is a modern day masterclass in grappling vs. putting.

Sterling has emerged as arguably the best bantamweight in UFC historical past. The protecting champ has a record-setting 14 bantamweight wins, appears to be like to increase his listing nine-fight successful streak within the category and boasts essentially the most bantamweight name defenses in promotional historical past. Every other a hit protection ties him with TJ Dillashaw for all-time wins in bantamweight name fights. He additionally holds data for keep an eye on future and overall battle future.

Don’t be unbalanced through O’Malley’s flashy persona. “Suga” is statistically essentially the most remarkable striker in bantamweight historical past. O’Malley holds the best-ever data for important putting accuracy, moves landed in keeping with tiny and certain putting differential.

Can’t get plenty boxing and MMA? Get the actual on the planet of fight sports activities from two of the most efficient within the trade. Subscribe to Morning Kombat with Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell for the most efficient research and in-depth information, together with an entire preview of UFC 292 beneath.

The alternative name battle sees the start of the second one reign as champ for Zhang. The Chinese language champion regained the 115-pound name in November with a second-round submission of Carla Esparza. The Chinese language fighter has been on a tear since dropping a related choice to Rose Namajunas in November 2021, additionally scoring a TKO of Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Lemos, in the meantime, bounced again from a first-round submission loss to Jessica Andrade in April 2022 to attain a couple of stoppage victories to related the yr and earn her name shot.

CBS Sports activities may even have reside protection of the battle with round-by-round scoring and blow-by-blow updates to conserve you as much as occasion all the way through the night time.

With such a lot taking place on Saturday night time, let’s tug a better take a look at the overall battle card with the actual odds from Caesars Sportsbook earlier than we get to our workforce predictions and alternatives for the PPV portion of the festivities.

UFC 292 battle card, odds

Odds by means of Caesars Sportsbook

• Aljamain Sterling (c) -250 vs. Sean O’Malley +205, bantamweight championship
• Zhang Weili (c) -320 vs. Amanda Lemos +250, ladies’s strawweight championship
• Ian Machado Garry -490 vs. Neil Magny +370, welterweights
• Mario Bautista -220 vs. Da’Mon Blackshear +180, bantamweights
• Marlon Vera -200 vs. Pedro Munhoz +170, bantamweights
• Brad Tavares -270 vs. Chris Weidman +220, middleweights
• Gregory Rodrigues -350 vs. Denis Tiuliulin +275, middleweights
• Austin Hubbard -175 vs. Kurt Holobaugh +150, lightweights
• Brad Katona -170 vs. Cody Gibson +145, bantamweight
• Andre Petroski -240 vs. Gerald Meerschaert +200, middleweights
• Natalia Silva -330 vs. Andrea Lee +260, ladies’s flyweights
• Karine Silva -150 vs. Maryna Moroz +125, ladies’s flyweights

With this sort of immense major match on faucet, the workforce at CBS Sports activities went forward with predictions and alternatives for the principle card. Listed here are your select makers: Brent Brookhouse (Struggle sports activities essayist), Brian Campbell (Struggle sports activities essayist, co-host of “Morning Kombat”), Shakiel Mahjouri (essayist) and Brandon Smart (senior writer).

UFC 292 alternatives, predictions

Sterling (c) vs. O’Malley	Sterling	Sterling	Sterling	Sterling
Zhang (c) vs. Lemos	Zhang	Zhang	Zhang	Zhang
Garry vs. Magny	Garry	Garry	Garry	Garry
Bautista vs. Blackshear	Bautista	Bautista	Bautista	Bautista
Vera vs. Munhoz	Vera	Vera	Vera	Vera
Information to occasion (2023)	27-18	26-19	25-20	27-18

Sterling vs. O’Malley

Campbell: Sterling is in spite of everything getting the honour he merits as some of the completed bantamweight champions in UFC historical past. But, for all of the certain communicate relating to Sterling’s bad farmland sport, it’s his battle IQ and elite poise that has been the invisible components. On paper, Sterling could also be the worst more or less matchup for O’Malley’s elegant putting taste. If O’Malley can keep off of his again, the equation would exchange significantly. However Sterling is untouched off of taking unwell former Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo 4 occasions in his Would possibly win and possesses a method this is merely tough to seem excellent in opposition to offensively. O’Malley can handiest win if the battle is contested on his personal phrases, which is one thing critics impaired to mention about Sterling. However the champion has advanced significantly and rest the rightful making a bet favourite in opposition to the dynamic but restricted emerging megastar. 

Mahjouri: Sooner or later, any individual goes to determine find out how to negate Sterling’s taste. I’m now not assured this Saturday is the past. O’Malley has a dozen going for him: correct and strong moves, prime IQ and a smart camp in the back of him. It’s conceivable that he catches Sterling early or fends off plenty takedowns to arrange his personal sport, however Sterling controlled to takedown Olympic gold medalist wrestler Henry Cejudo 4 occasions. Sterling has two clever camps in the back of him, Xtreme Couture and Serra-Longo. He’s in his athletic high and regardless of getting into the battle banged up, I’ll facet with the champ to wear down O’Malley with smothering grappling and again keep an eye on. One extreme a hit name protection for the most efficient bantamweight champ in UFC historical past.

Zhang vs. Lemos

Campbell: Outdoor of Lemos’ punching energy, this can be a very lengthy night time for the 36-year-old Brazilian challenger. Zhang has advanced her sport vastly, in particular in terms of wrestling, since her pair of name defeats to Rose Namajunas in 2021. At 34, there’s a case to be made that Zhang is the pound-for-pound best possible feminine fighter within the game as of late. She additionally has the enjoy benefit being a veteran of 5 UFC name fights, together with two that went the five-round distance. Lemos isn’t one to be toyed with however she will also be contained through any individual as gifted as Zhang. 

Mahjouri: Lemos has now not confirmed that she will win a battle on the best degree of ladies’s strawweight. Dropping to Jessica Andrade is not anything shameful, however to peer Andrade lose 3 consecutive fights one yr upcoming has me doubting Lemos’ probabilities in opposition to the champ. Zhang is an absolute juggernaut and is all of the extra bad now that she’s rounded out her sport. Zhang statistically lands extra, absorbs fewer moves and has a better takedown moderate than the challenger. Pair that together with her enjoy in opposition to elite festival and it’s sun-baked to peer how Lemos wins with out an disappointed stoppage.

Garry vs. Magny

Campbell: Like Conor McGregor’s leap forward stoppage of Dennis Siver in 2015, when he hurdled the Octagon wall afterwards to confront champion Jose Aldo within the community, every other red-hot Irish anticipation has the prospect to assemble his title recognized international with a seriously noteceable win in Boston. At 25, Garry seems like the true do business in, together with his first-round knockout of Daniel Rodriguez in Would possibly doing wonders to quiet his skeptical critics. This check in opposition to an elite gatekeeper in Magny, although it happened past due later Geoff Neal withdrew because of undercover fitness problems, seems like the best battle on the proper future. Magny is stingy and flexible plenty to check Garry in positive tactics and hasn’t been completed through moves since 2017. He’s now not, alternatively, a bulky plenty ultimatum that Garry, supplied the hype is for actual, can’t nonetheless have the opportunity to dazzle and build his personal Beantown time. 

Who wins UFC 292: Sterling vs. O’Malley, and the way precisely does each and every battle finish? Consult with SportsLine now to get graphic alternatives on each and every battle at UFC 292, all from the MMA knowledgeable who profited greater than $6,200 in 2022, and to find out.