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Tim Welch thinks Aljamain Sterling is too good at grappling to waste time standing with Sean O’Malley … which could open up other opportunities for ‘Suga’ to exploit.

There’s no secret on how UFC 292’s main event between bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling and challenger Sean O’Malley is going to go. Either Sterling is going to get the fight to the ground, or O’Malley is gonna box the champ up on the feet.

Neither man has denied what side their bread is buttered on. Now O’Malley’s coach Tim Welch is giving his insight into how he expects Sterling’s takedowns to lead to a knockout win for “Suga.”

A week ago Welch tweeted “A good chance Sugar KO’s Aljo next week.” In a new interview with Submission Radio, he explained what prompted that message.

“It was probably after a training session, just seeing how dialed in he is with his timing and how fast and accurate he is,” Tim said. “And everyone’s game plan against Sean has been, pin him against the cage and try to take him down. And you see very good guys trying to stalk him, and it’s way harder than they think.

“But I think Aljo is such a good athlete. He’s so funky that he’s gonna take risks. And he’s gonna try to grab Sean. He’s gonna take a big risk. And that’s also gonna be able to open up the knockout for us. Like I said, Sean can knock people out with every one of his limbs. So, if he lunges in at the wrong time, he could get some knuckles bounced off his chin, and it could be the end of the night. So, I think I tweeted that after a workout when Sean’s feeling really, really sharp and just hitting so hard.”

While Welch recognizes Aljamain Sterling as the best bantamweight champion in UFC history, he believes “The Funkmaster” will end up being a little too desperate for a takedown in the face of O’Malley’s offensive capabilities.

“I think especially once he feels something buzz by his face or crack him a little bit, he’s gonna be diving at Sean’s legs,” he said. “I think he’s gonna sprint right at him, try to cut him off, and then put him against the fence and take him down.”

“He’s so funky, he’s so funky. You some of his takedowns against the fence, they’re such good entries, there’s not even a spot to crack him. When he pins people on the fence and he’s punching, and you know he’s probably gonna shoot in a second, he’s so good at punching and getting into entry, there’s not even room for him to get KO’d. So, I definitely think that’s his plan. Especially when we’re in the open.”

“He’s probably gonna stand about three, four feet away, throw some stupid stuff, and try to get Sean to over-commit,” Welch summed up. “And then drop down into a double leg. For sure, the longer it’s on the feet, the higher the chances that Sean’s gonna KO him.”