The UFC returns to Boston for the seventh time on August 19 when UFC 292 takes place at the TD Garden with two title fights slated for the event. Bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling will look to successfully defend his title for a fourth time against rising star Sean O’Malley in the main event. The co-main event finds Zhang Weili putting her women’s strawweight title on the line against the surging Amanda Lemos.
MORE: Everything you need to know about UFC 292
Sterling will make a relatively quick turnaround after retaining his title against former champion Henry Cejudo in May. The split decision victory gave him the most title defenses in bantamweight history and he’ll hope to extend that against a fighter who has had a significant surge in popularity since bursting on the scene six years ago.
O’Malley made his way to the UFC through Dana White’s Contender Series in 2017 and grabbed everyone’s attention with his excellent striking. He’s gone 9-1 with 1 No Contest and collected a fair share of highlight reel finishes along the way. But he went from prospect to legitimate contender when he won a split decision over former champion Petr Yan last October.
It’ll be a clash of styles as the striker faces the grappler for all the marbles.
Zhang became a two-time champion when she dominated Carla Esparza last November. The 34-year-old hopes her second run as champion will last longer than her first. After one title defense, Zhang was knocked out in stunning fashion by Rose Namajunas in 2021 and then fell short with a split decision loss later that year.
In order to equal the title defenses of her last reign she’ll have to take out an unlikely challenger who has made her way into contention with a pair of dominant victories.
Lemos’ stoppage of Marina Rodriguez last November cleared the way to get her first crack at a world championship and she hopes that she’ll only need one attempt to have gold wrapped around her waist.
The Sporting News will provide live coverage of all the action at UFC 292.
UFC 292 results, highlights
12:40 a.m. ET: It’s main event time as Aljamain Sterling defends his bantamweight title against Sean O’Malley next.
Zhang Weili retains title with dominant decision over Amanda Lemos
Scores: 50-43, 50-44 & 49-45
12:38 a.m. ET: That was an absolute clinic from Zhang Weili who never seemed to be in an ounce of trouble for the 25 minutes she was in the Octagon. Lemos never quit but couldn’t stop the takedowns. The scores were reflective of the domination as Zhang will await the next challenge for her title.
Round Five: Zhang counters a kick with a right hand and down goes Lemos. Zhang swarms in for the finish and is landing some hard ground and pound. Lemos goes for a kneebar but Zhang continues to pound on her. Zhang has the crucifix from the back and continues to batter Lemos. She can’t get the finish as Lemos continues to try to find a way out. Lemos is back to her feet but Zhang takes her back down to the canvas. Lemos fights her way back to her feet with seconds left for a moral victory but this was total domination from Zhang.
SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9 Zhang (50-45 Zhang)
Round Four: Lemos hasn’t given up yet but she’s being outclassed. They spend the first minute standing but Zhang is landing leg kicks. Lemos sneaks in a counter right hand. Not a lot happening as Zhang may be taking the round off. Lemos lands a right hand that knocks Zhang off balance. Lemos lands a right hand and Zhang has had enough. She swoops in for a double leg and takes Lemos down. Lemos goes for the d’arce again but Zhang escapes. Lemos gets to her feet following the submission attempt. Lemos launching bombs but can’t quite connect as the round comes to an end.
SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9 Zhang (40-36 Zhang)
Round Three: Lemos tries to strike at range but Zhang closes the distance and the two wrestle along the fence. Zhang slams a pair of elbows, picks the leg and secures another takedown. Zhang gets to her feet and kicks at Lemos’ legs before diving back into side control. Zhang is on Lemos’ back again. Lemos gets Zhang back to half guard. They get back to their feet and Zhang works in some elbows in the clinch. They separate and Zhang lands a left and a right hand. Total domination thus far.
SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9 Zhang (30-27 Zhang)
Round Two: Hard right hand by Lemos. Side kick from Zhang backs Lemos into the fence but Lemos bounces back with a right hand. Zhang closes the distance and slams Lemos on her back. Zhang nearly mounts Lemos. Lemos nearly kicks her off but Zhang crowds her and takes her back. Lemos nearly escapes but Zhang returns to top pressure and lands short elbows. Lemos manages to get to her feet but not for long as she’s muscled back down to the mat.
SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9 Zhang (20-18 Zhang)
Round One: Zhang uses a leg kick to take Lemos down in the first minute and stacks her. She transitions into side control. Lemos attempts to scoot to the fence to help her get back to her feet but Zhang begins to pound on her with left hands from half guard. Bombs away from Zhang. Lemos snatches a d’arce choke! Zhang lands knees and escapes. Takes Lemos’ back and is slugging away at her. Lemos survives the barrage with a minute left. Zhang continues to pound on her and not giving Lemos room to breathe. Lemos tries another d’arce and gets slammed at the end of the round.
SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9 Zhang
11:53 p.m. ET: The first of two title fights is up next as Zhang Weili defends her women’s strawweight title against the hard-hitting Amanda Lemos. And from here on out were are going to round-by-round coverage.
Ian Garry punishes Neil Magny with leg kicks for dominant decision win
Scores: 30-26, 30-26 & 30-24
11:45 p.m. ET: This was an absolute clinic from Ian Garry as he took a decision with a performance that was anchored by a brutal leg kick assault. Garry dropped Magny with the first leg kick he threw and was relentless from that point as he severely compromised Magny’s leg with each chopping kick. Credit to Magny for being too tough for his own good as he refused to quit despite being barely able to stand. But this was a breakout performance from Garry and he wants to face Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson next.
11:26 p.m. ET: Ian Machado Garry faces Neil Magny next and this fight turned into a real blood feud over the past few days as the war of words became heated. But can Garry get by the seasoned veteran?
Mario Bautista outworks Da’mon Blackshear for decision win
Scores: 30-27, 29-28 & 29-28
11:17 p.m. ET: Mario Bautista outlasted Da’mon Blackshear to extend his winning streak to five with a unanimous decision win. But it’s been a night of questionable scorecards as the 30-27 score for Bautista seemed a bit wide considering that Blackshear had an excellent opening frame with multiple takedowns. Nevertheless, the cardio from Bautista came into play as he grew stronger midway through the second round and carried that momentum into the final frame with great takedowns and work inside the clinch.
10:51 p.m. ET: Da’mon Blackshear is back in action just a week following his submission win to face Mario Bautista next. Blackshear steps in on short notice after Cody Garbrandt was forced out of the fight with an injury.
‘Chito’ Vera takes decision over Munhoz behind powerful jab
Scores: 30-27, 30-27 & 29-28
10:46 p.m. ET: Working behind a strong jab, Marlon “Chito” Vera took a unanimous decision over Pedro Munhoz in a standup affair. It was a closer fight that the two scorecards of 30-27 had but the right man won as Vera’s thudding jab controlled the pace of the fight. With the win, Vera is in line with a rematch with Sean O’Malley regardless of how the main event turns out.
10:27 p.m. ET: We’re kicking off the UFC 292 main card with a battle of former Sean O’Malley opponents in Marlon Vera and Pedro Munhoz. The narrative is pretty clear that the winner would likely be in line to face O’Malley should “The Suga Show” become champion tonight.
10:03 p.m. ET: Chris Weidman’s return to the Octagon after breaking his leg two years ago against Uriah Hall didn’t go as planned as he fell short against Brad Tavares. Weidman’s leg was compromised early from leg kicks and he just couldn’t find a rhythm as Tavares dominated with his striking and takedown defense to earn a unanimous decision. Is this the end of Weidman?
9:19 p.m. ET: We’ve been waiting for Gregory Rodrigues to put his toolbox on display and “Robocop” did just that with a brutal dismantling of Denis Tiuliulin with a first-round KO. A brilliant takedown, a swift transition to mount and a brutal series of elbows called it a night. If Rodrigues can do this regularly, he’ll be a problem moving forward for the division.
Gregory gets it done with AUTHORITY 😤 #UFC292 pic.twitter.com/X3Sn7AkYGh
— UFC (@ufc) August 20, 2023
9:03 p.m. ET: Kurt Holobaugh pulled off a slick transition to a triangle choke to secure a second-round submission against Austin Hubbard and win the TUF lightweight finale. He’s back in the UFC after four years and called out Paddy Pimblett.
That @KurtHolobaugh transition is everything 👏 #TUF31 #UFC292 pic.twitter.com/KtOjrIRLVT
— UFC (@ufc) August 20, 2023
8:35 p.m. ET: We have a new frontrunner for Fight of the Night as Cody Gibson and Brad Katona had a hell of a battle in the finale. But it was Katona who outlasted Gibson to win the TUF bantamweight finals and make his way back to the UFC with a unanimous decision victory.
8:07 p.m. ET: After an entertaining trio of fights on the UFC Fight Pass prelims that saw a potential Fight of the Night candidate between Petroski and Meerschaert along with Natalia Silva and Karine Silva making a name for themselves, it’s time for The Ultimate Fighter bantamweight finale between Cody Gibson and Brad Katona.
How about the SQUEEZE on this @KillerKarine sub 😳 #UFC292 pic.twitter.com/UyZJ59cmLr
— UFC (@ufc) August 19, 2023
When is UFC 292: Aljamain Sterling vs. Sean O’Malley?
In the U.S., UFC 292 starts with the early prelims at 6 p.m. ET. The prelims start at 8 p.m. ET while the main card is at 10 p.m. ET. Sterling and O’Malley should make their way to the octagon around 12:15 a.m. ET, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
| Region | Date | Early Prelims Start Time | Prelims Start Time | Main Card Start Time | Main Event Ring Walks (approx.) |
| USA and Canada (ET) | Sat. August 19 | 6 p.m. ET | 8 p.m. ET | 10 p.m. ET | 12:15 a.m. ET |
| USA and Canada (PT) | Sat. August 19 | 3 p.m. PT | 5 p.m. PT | 7 p.m. PT | 9:15 p.m. PT |
| UK and Ireland | Sun. August 20 | 11 p.m. BST | 1 a.m. BST | 3 a.m. BST | 5:15 a.m. BST |
| Australia | Sun. August 20 | 8 a.m. AEST | 10 a.m. AEST | 12 p.m. AEST | 2:15 p.m. AEST |
MORE: Breaking down the format of the PFL Playoffs
How to watch UFC 292: Aljamain Sterling vs. Sean O’Malley
| Country | Date | Channel + Live Stream (main card) |
| United States | Sat. August 19 | ESPN+, ESPN PPV |
| Canada | Sat. August 19 | BELL, Rogers, Shaw, SaskTel, Videotron, Telus, Eastlink, UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass |
| United Kingdom | Sun. August 20 | TNT Sports |
| Australia | Sun. August 20 | Main Event, Kayo Sports, Fetch TV, UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass |
Aljamain Sterling vs. Sean O’Malley PPV price: How much does UFC 292 cost?
- $79.99 (current ESPN+ subscribers)
- $124.98 (new subscribers)
In the U.S., the UFC 292 main card is available via pay-per-view on ESPN+, which also requires a subscription. The PPV price for UFC 292 is $79.99 for current subscribers. New subscribers can pay a bundle price of $124.98 for the UFC 292 pay-per-view and an ESPN+ annual subscription, which offers savings of more than 30 percent.
MORE: Sign up to watch the UFC 292 PPV, exclusively on ESPN+
| Product | Prices |
|---|---|
| ESPN+ Monthly Subscription | $9.99/month |
| ESPN+ Annual Subscription | $99.99/year |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu Ad-Supported | $12.99/month |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu No-Ads | $19.99/month |
| UFC PPV Standalone | $79.99 each |
| UFC PPV Package (UFC PPV & ESPN+ Annual) | $124.98, then $99.99/year |
| UFC PPV & The Disney Bundle |
$79.99, then $12.99/month |
Click here to learn about the different pricing and bundling options with the ESPN+ platform.
UFC 292 results
Main card
- Aljamain Sterling (c) vs. Sean O’Malley for the UFC bantamweight title
- Zhang Weili def. Amanda Lemos via unanimous decision (50-43, 50-44 & 49-45) to retain the UFC strawweight title
- Ian Machado Garry def. Neil Magny via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26 & 30-24)
- Mario Bautista def. Da’mon Blackshear via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28 & 30-27)
- Marlon Vera def. Pedro Munhoz via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27 & 29-28)
Prelims
- Brad Tavares def. Chris Weidman via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27)
- Gregory Rodrigues def. Denis Tiuliulin via 1st round KO (elbows) (1:43)
- Kurt Holobaugh def. Austin Hubbard via 2nd round submission (triangle choke) (2:39) to win TUF Ultimate Fighter lightweight final
- Brad Katona def. Cody Gibson via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28 & 30-27) to win TUF bantamweight final
Early Prelims
- Andre Petroski def. Gerald Meerschaert via split decision (29-28, 29-28 & 28-29)
- Natalia Silva def. Andrea Lee via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27)
- Karine Silva def. Maryna Moroz via 1st round submission (guillotine choke) (4:59)
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