Bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling confirms UFC 292 is 'more than likely my last fight' in division

There will likely be a new bantamweight champion in the near future regardless of how Sterling vs. Sean O'Malley ends

UFC 292 could very well be Aljamain Sterling's last appearance as UFC bantamweight champion, win or lose. Sterling has repeatedly teased moving to featherweight and confirmed that Saturday's fight in Boston against Sean O'Malley is likely his last at 135 pounds.

Sterling revealed this week that he will almost certainly begin the transition from bantamweight to featherweight after UFC 292. That is particularly true if Sterling defeats O'Malley.

"This is more than likely my last fight at 135," Sterling told "The MMA Hour" on Monday. "There's a 99% chance it's my last... If I win this, for sure, I'm out of here."

There are two main motivations pushing Sterling towards featherweight: teammate Merab Dvalishvili and weight cuts. Sterling's status as champion blocks his dear friend Dvalishvili -- currently ranked No. 1 in the UFC's official bantamweight rankings -- out of a title shot. The teammates refuse to fight each other. Sterling, 34, has also repeatedly acknowledged how grueling a bantamweight cut is and how his body has trouble recovering.

Can't get enough boxing and MMA? Get the latest in the world of combat sports from two of the best in the business. Subscribe to Morning Kombat with Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell for the best analysis and in-depth news, including a complete preview of UFC 292 below.

"It's Merab's time, man," Sterling said. "And the second part of that is, I'm a little bit overcutting weight, this much weight. I walk around 165, 170 [pounds]. I think I could hold that frame relatively better, and I think my conditioning and everything could actually go up a little bit more, back to when I was younger, where I was cutting less."

"I think he's got such a great relationship with Merab," Sterling's longtime striking coach Ray Longo told CBS Sports. "He really wants to see Merab fight for that title. These are things that you can't teach people.You can surround them with likeminded people to where it becomes a natural thing. I love it. If he does that, it would be a very selfless act. I think the likelihood of that is really, really up there."

Check out the full interview with Ray Longo below.

Who wins UFC 292: Sterling vs. O'Malley, and how exactly does each fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks on every fight at UFC 292, all from the MMA expert who profited more than $6,200 in 2022, and find out.