Although it’s been over four months since UFC 292 concluded, the chat about it is still going on. During this year-end reflection period, the win of Sean O’Malley over Aljamain Sterling remains a standout moment, ranking among the top 5 knockouts of the year. Meanwhile, the chatter extends beyond the crazy KO, as Sterling in the recent YouTube video questions O’Malley’s PPV power and highlights his disappointment with the PPV numbers. So let’s dive into the details of the PPV numbers.
While the official UFC figures have not been released, Henry Cejudo has some inside information. And he also wasn’t impressed with the numbers, especially considering the hype surrounding O’Malley. Talking about the same on his YouTube channel ‘Henry Cejudo,’ he stated;
“Guess what, guys, I have friends at ESPN. I’m not gonna say who but Sean O’Malley. You guys want to know what O’Malley’s buy PPV he did. He did anywhere between 300,000 to 350,000. That’s it.”
As per Cejudo, Sean O’Malley vs Aljamain Sterling pulled 350,000 pay-per-view buys, prompting questions about whether this is a surplus or a decline. This revelation challenges the earlier projections, as many thought this event to be one of the biggest of the year, but it turned out to be otherwise.
Talking about the same, Sterling, who held the bantamweight division championship since 2021, saw his winning streak come to an end with a massive knockout from O’Malley at UFC 292.
As UFC sees “Suga” as the next big thing, after his victory, UFC shared the full fight on their YouTube channel, which is very rare. However, when it comes to numbers, just what Cejudo said earlier, Sterling was also not impressed. He stated;
“These are the numbers that this guy was trying to say he’s this big pay-per-view star? I’m just like, ‘Oh my God.’ When I saw the numbers, I literally said to her, ‘If I had any idea this is what the numbers would have been, if I could have predicted that this is what it would have been, my a** I would have waited and taken my vacation then. And gear up to fight now.”
So now the question arises: if Aljamain vs. O’Malley didn’t generate the big PPV numbers, why O’Malley is seen as the next big thing?
Why does the UFC see Sean O’Malley as the next big thing?
“This is the beginning of the Suga Era.” With this, O’Malley, after securing the UFC championship, claimed himself as what many believe was the next big thing. The current UFC bantamweight champion has everything that Dana White wants in a superstar–flashy, exciting, and having solid fight prowess.
O’Malley is not just exceptional for his persona but also has a solid record to back it up. With a record of 17-1-1, he has proven his mettle in the company, securing victories via knockouts 12 times. When O’Malley fights, the arena is filled with fans sporting pink hair, just like O’Malley.
His marketable charisma shines, especially in the void left by Conor McGregor, as many claim on the internet. However, if the last reported PPV numbers are accurate, he is still a superstar in the making. Now, it will be interesting to see how many buys he can generate in his hyped fight against Chito Vera at UFC 299.
