Close-up footage of Sean O'Malley and Aljamain Sterling exchanging heated words as Dana White urgently steps in - "Be cool! Be cool!"

Aljamain Sterling and 'Sugar' Sean O'Malley partook in a face-off ahead of their highly-anticipated title matchup. The face-off, which transpired at the UFC 292 pre-fight press conference, saw both fighters get into an intense verbal exchange.

UFC president Dana White, for his part, ensured that things didn't escalate into a scuffle. White intervened and requested 'Funk Master' and 'Sugar' to keep calm.

Reigning UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling is scheduled to defend his title against challenger Sean O'Malley in the headlining matchup at UFC 292 on August 19th, 2023. The buildup to the clash has seen both bantamweights take multiple jibes at one another, with their long-running feud seemingly reaching a crescendo during fight week.

During their fiery face-off at the UFC 292 pre-fight press conference, UFC head honcho Dana White notably separated the two 135-pounders. As seen in an Instagram video posted by White, he simply stated the following during the face-off:

"Be cool! Be cool!"

Additionally, grappling savant Sterling appeared to suggest that he's going to fold his foe at UFC 292. 'Funk Master' asserted that O'Malley is feeling the pressure of their high-profile fight getting to him. Sterling stated:

"You don't have the reach that you think that you have. And I can't wait to go out there and fold you. I'm going to fold you and snap you in half. I know you feel the pressure."

The consensus in the MMA community is that while Aljamain Sterling has the advantage in the grappling realm, Sean O'Malley has the edge in the striking department. On that note, during their face-off, 'Sugar' indicated that he'd utilize his punches to beat Sterling. O'Malley proceeded to ask 'Funk Master' to choose which hand he'd like to get punched with:

"Which one you want?"

Watch the O'Malley-Sterling face-off featuring White in the video below:

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MMA legend Michael Bisping addresses the Sean O'Malley vs. Aljamain Sterling UFC 292 fight

Taking to his official YouTube channel, MMA great Michael Bisping recently chimed in on the much-awaited Sean O'Malley vs. Aljamain Sterling matchup. Bisping highlighted that O'Malley ought to use constant movement to steer clear of Sterling's takedowns and grappling. The UFC Hall of Famer emphasized that 'Sugar' must not back up against the octagon fence.

'The Count' referenced Aljamain Sterling's dominant first-round submission victory over former interim UFC bantamweight title challenger Cory Sandhagen. He explained that Sandhagen made the error of backing up against the fence, which Sterling capitalized on. Breaking down the O'Malley vs. Sterling showdown, Bisping said:

"O'Malley needs to be in perpetual motion, okay? He cannot back up. You know the black line, you know about this. That's the warning line. If an opponent shoots on you there, they might not get the takedown, but they can drive you up against the fence. From there they can go to a single-leg, they can go to a body-lock, double-legs, so on, so forth, high-crotch, you name it."

Check out Bisping's assessment at 5:31 in the video below: