Aljamain Sterling will be making the fourth defense of his UFC bantamweight championship when he faces Sean O'Malley in the main event of two-title-bout UFC 292 on Saturday in Boston.
The other title fight pits strawweight champ Zhang Weili against Amanda Lemos.
The main card at TD Garden will be on ESPN+ pay-per-view starting at 10 p.m. ET, with prelims on ESPN and ESPN+ at 8 p.m. and early prelims on ESPN+ at 6:30 p.m.
Sterling (23-3) has won nine fights in a row, most recently earning a split-decision victory over former two-division champ Henry Cejudo in May. Sterling is No. 7 in the ESPN men's pound-for-pound rankings.
O'Malley (16-1, 1 NC) is unbeaten in his last four fights, including a split-decision win over ex-champ Petr Yan last October. "Suga Sean" is No. 4 in the ESPN men's bantamweight rankings.
Zhang (23-3), a two-time champ, is No. 1 in the ESPN women's pound-for-pound rankings. She regained the title in November when she choked out fellow ex-champ Carla Esparza.
The 10th-ranked Lemos (13-2-1) has won seven of her last eight. Her most recent win was a TKO of Marina Rodriguez in November.
What are the storylines behind the top fights at UFC 292? How are experts breaking them down? What do the fighters have to say? Here is the fight card, how to watch it and a collection of all of the UFC 292 essentials.
UFC 292 fight card
ESPN+ PPV, 10 p.m. ET
Men's bantamweight championship: Aljamain Sterling (c) vs. Sean O'Malley
Strawweight championship: Zhang Weili (c) vs. Amanda Lemos
Welterweight: Ian Garry vs. Neil Magny
Men's bantamweight: Mario Bautista vs. Da'Mon Blackshear
Men's bantamweight: Marlon Vera vs. Pedro Munhoz
ESPN/ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET
Middleweight: Chris Weidman vs. Brad Tavares
Middleweight: Gregory Rodrigues vs. Denis Tiuliulin
Lightweight: Austin Hubbard vs. Kurt Holobaugh
ESPN+, 6:30 p.m.
Middleweight: Andre Petroski vs. Gerald Meerschaert
Women's flyweight: Andrea Lee vs. Natalia Silva
Women's flyweight: Karine Silva vs. Maryna Moroz
(c) = defending champion
How to watch the fights
Watch the PPV and all other fights on ESPN+: Get ESPN+ here.
Watch the prelims on ESPN and ESPN+. Download the ESPN App | WatchESPN | TV schedule
Don't have ESPN? Get instant access.
Purchased the fight on your phone and want to stream on your TV? Find out how here.
There's also FightCenter, which offers live updates for every UFC card.
UFC 292 storylines: Is O'Malley ready for his biggest test? All eyes on Weidman's return
There will be more on the line than just the bantamweight title when Sterling and O'Malley clash on Saturday night. O'Malley has a chance to prove he is who the promotion thought he could be after earning a contract with the promotion on "Dana White's Contender Series" in 2017.
Some feel O'Malley has had an easy path to a title shot. Of the 10 opponents O'Malley has faced inside the Octagon, four are no longer with the promotion, and a fifth, Thomas Almeida, hasn't fought since his loss to O'Malley in 2021. In his three fights against higher-level competition (Marlon Vera, Pedro Munhoz and Petr Yan), O'Malley has a record of 1-1 with one no contest.
UFC title matchup projections: What does our model think of Sterling-O'Malley and Zhang-Lemos?
After his impressive performance against Henry Cejudo, Sterling will be viewed in a different light coming into his next title defense against O'Malley. O'Malley will have the edge in boxing, but Sterling has shown his improved striking, which makes his wrestling and grappling skills an even bigger threat than before. Unless O'Malley is able to win by KO early, I think Sterling by decision will have great value. O'Malley is no slouch off his back, but Sterling's control and position are some of the best in the game.
O'Malley's coach lauds Sterling
Sean O'Malley's longtime coach, Tim Welch, believes Aljamain Sterling is the toughest matchup "Suga Sean" has ever seen at 135 pounds -- even over the likes of longtime king Dominick Cruz, TJ Dillashaw or Petr Yan."Stylistically, I think this is the most dangerous bantamweight champion there's ever been," Welch told ESPN. "I really think that. He's so athletic, long and strong. He's not just a good wrestler, he's a good wrestler with good jiu-jitsu and he's very funky. He switches stances, he throws spazzy things at you. He's good at chaining his wrestling together. Most dangerous bantamweight ever, in my opinion."
Sterling just wants his respect
One day in May, as his championship defense against Henry Cejudo approached, Sterling chose not to dwell on the pressure attached to the most important night of his career. Instead, he did what he always does when the moment is magnified.
He grabbed his phone and played chess to steady his mind.
"It reminds me of the fight," said Sterling. "It's mental warfare. And it's like physical warfare. Me outsmarting you the same way I've got to outsmart you in a fistfight. I've found that it's really relatable in that sense."