Aljamain Sterling vs Sean O'Malley | Dan Hardy Breakdown, The War Room Ep. 276

The War Room, where Dan Hardy breaks down the UFC 292 main event, Aljamain Sterling vs Sean O'Malley.
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[@allblackzac8845]

Dan, I think you should start doing post fight analysis breakdown videos. It would awesome for you to give your thoughts on how the fight played out and what surprised you or what went as expected.

[@50_shadesof_green88]

Yesssss 🙏🏻

[@SurfMastery-kz6je]

well he does live commentary during fights.

[@Proxima2]

I’d love to see a post fight breakdown. Make it so, boss.

[@knowmad81]

This is the way 🙏🏾

[@About2goBallistic]

I support this.

[@LegendaryItalianPower]

Best analyst around , this and the embeddeds make the big fight weeks a joy

[@hexstaticloonatic4194]

Him and Jack Slack, best in the business

[@ErosXCaos]

TheWeasle is no slouch

[@mhutch5082]

Don't forget nick and pete

[@jackstoker8138]

@@ErosXCaosweasel is always bias towards the dagastanies and it gets on my nerves hella lmao, I remember he tried to make it out like Volk Vs Islam wasn’t a close fight

[@dagwood5041]

​@@ErosXCaosWeasle is nowhere near Dan's level of analysis

[@iamhocus]

The fact UFC let this man go is insane, these breakdowns are unmatched

[@billfrench1069]

You don’t yell, “Stop the fight!” to a referee as a commentator. He was way out of line there. And apparently he was mistreating women employees. Just not a good fit. He’s a bit of a wackjob

[@quest9133]

If Aljo didn’t have a strategy, he wouldn’t have submitted Corey in the first round. He and his team saw what no one else saw and spotted the weaknesses in Corey’s game. In the 2nd Yan fight, he also employed different takedowns that exposed weaknesses in Yan’s defence. Aljo has a great strategic mind. You don’t beat the likes of Sandhagen, Yan and Cejudo through luck or chaos.

[@victorpapillon1487]

Doest get enough credit

[@chinchilla2971]

Your right. I hate to admit it but you are. Can’t stand aljo, merab & that entire lame team but they do prepare well. Would love nothing more than suga to brutally destroy aljo. Just don’t see it happening though. Aljo by ground and pound

[@BatCaveOz]

Both examples provided were more correctly described as tactical, rather than strategic.

[@CYMotorsport]

@@BatCaveOzincorrect. Tactics exist solely within the framework of strategy. Atleast successful ones do. To have a strategic mindset allows you to effectively deploy tactics. You were just being cheeky likely using google definitions of short vs long term but in a fight the “long term” is the win built by a fight strategy with tactics to ensure that victory. You need a strategic mind to have successful tactics. You can not successfully deploy tactics without a strategic mind. Again, as the OC said that would be closer to chaotic luck. Throwing things at the wall something will stick. His tactics are apart of an overall strategic plan for the fight. Hence: Aljo has a great strategic mind.

[@quest9133]

@@CYMotorsport 💯 Couldn't have said it better.

[@steevoo1]

Dan, I dont think you're giving Aljo enough credit on the prep and game planning they do. He talks about it on his pod where he had Eric Nicksik on. He splits his camps between NY/LV. Pretty much him and Nicksik are the brains on watching all the film and structuring different gameplans. Just off the Henry fight alone, he had to adjust multiple times mid fight because Henry was catching on a lot of what he was doing. Aljos fight IQ is very underrated.

[@PyroCham]

I agree. I love Dan and he's usually spot on. However, I totally disagree with him in regards to the tactics/strategy part of Sterling. Cejudo even complimented Aljo for making in-fight adjustments in his post-fight pressconference. And if you look at that fight, you can actually see those adjustments. Mainly in the later rounds of the fight. In addition, Aljo also sets up his opponents with weird movements and strikes in order to take them down. Not just in the middle of the octagon, but also in the clinch. He's definitely not just throwing random strikes without any strategy as Dan mentioned. Just like you said, Aljo's fight IQ is severely underrated. Unfortunately it seems that Dan is doing exactly that.

[@lukemorris9917]

I also agree, saying he had no game plan is bonkers

[@Tyz_HealthAndWellness-Journey]

@@PyroChamthis is where you guys are confused. He vividly said that Aljo is so good at making midnight adjustments because he doesn’t really go in with game plans, he goes with the moment and adjust bases on what he sees is & is not working during the fight in the moment. Aljo has even said in camera he doesn’t train a game plan for fights he just implements his tactics and adjust as he goes.

[@arjenrobbed1294]

Lol Sterling is overated af. Lost to yan first fight, 2nd fight could’ve went either way he just hel the back no sub attempt or ground and pound. Then beat old injured dilshaw, then he beat cejudo a fly weight after 3 years off. Cejudo hasn’t beat anyone in bantam weight. Moraes and old ass Cruz 🤣🤣😭

[@ZebeonCrawford]

I’m glad I’m not the only one who had this thought when hearing Dan kinda going on about how Aljo basically doesn’t know what he’s doing in there 😭😂

[@steelier6107]

Every fight starts standing and Sean has great power at 135 but it’s hard to see this not going like Aljo vs cory

[@stephenstuckey]

Yeah I tend to agree....

[@ryder710]

sean is faster than cory and moved like no other fighter

[@user-fx5cd4px3k]

Yan took Sean down..@@ryder710

[@craigrobb8197]

@@ryder710 i think cory would crush suga. rewatch the suga vs. yan fight, if the ref takes points for fence grabs and grabbing the inside of the gloves, o'mally has no way to stay on his feet

[@rekanpayne6606]

Yea but the mma gods don't rest

[@rockinpranch8173]

Imagine being Suga, and knowing if you can get past Aljo you have to turn right around and deal with merab…

[@erenjaegerbomb8653]

yup. I don't see Suga surviving the onslaught that Yan had to put up with. For all we know, Dvalish might be the rightful champ anyway, and we've just been unable to find out up to this point.

[@khimaros]

@@erenjaegerbomb8653he could just be! He was utterly terrifying vs Yan. I can’t see suga getting past aljo’s grappling tho…

[@asharpbrotha4324]

That man's endurance is INSANE its like he never got tired in that fight and kept the pace

[@mrmolloy]

Nope 👎 why do you think Chito is on the same card + they have unfinished business and history.

[@pinksupremacy6076]

If he can deal with Aljo he can deal with Merab. Aljo is by far the worst matchup for O'malley.

[@Simon-my8pv]

This man is your favorite analyst’s favorite analyst.

[@MxFlyer125]

Dan, i finally ordered your autograph and i’m stoked! It’s like 18 inches, a head shot with your red hawk and bandana all setup in my garage behind my thai bag. Much respect to you sir. I was born in England and been in the states since the age of 4 after losing my Dad. You have always been one of my favorites. 🙏🏼

[@Hammer1978]

Thank you for this. You could teach Henry alot about how to do reviews and breakdowns.

[@tommygunnggg1127]

He should take some notes on how Dan the man does these, no cringe needed

[@KHALABEEB]

Henry already thinks he's the best at everything🤣

[@dyyylllaannn]

henry just too much ego lol

[@MoshJunkie426]

Henry's OK with play by play style breakdowns but Dan as an overall fight breakdown is the best

[@Fishburne-_-]

Dan was never a champ and keeps talking about fighting again. It’s been downhill since Dana fired him for losing his temper.

[@zachdougherty5706]

I think Aljo’s tactical awareness is what makes him win, win, and win. And this strategy is his high level flowing, tactically knowing what to flow to and strategically when to flow into it. That’s why he beat O’Malley

[@6foot8jesuspilledpureblood82]

He's going to perma hug o malley

[@billfrench1069]

That’s why he beat O’Malley? I don’t seem to remember that 😂

[@MistyAndBonnie]

really he beat omalley?

[@thekevinfoster]

Tim Welch also has solid mid-fight insights which could be helpful. I think Aljo probably has a better chance, but hard to call.

[@DanHardyFR]

Good call. Their ability to adapt mid-fight might be important, and they do a good job at it.

[@Boogapikka]

Dang, Dan called it again lol

[@stjude9299]

Dan's Ray Longo impression deaded me 😂😂😂😂

[@mattfuller6812]

419 watching... 35 likes... Cmon guys.

[@vjoojv]

Great breakdown! Love to see you giving love to Tim Welch. Keep up the great coverage😊

[@DrQualleFiggmann]

What's also interesting imo: Sterling trains/trained with Merab all day. Who else got a Top 135er contender as a daily training partner?

[@tommy2364]

They both have similar styles though so for this fight that’s irrelevant it’s impossible to find someone who can move like suga.. aljo just gotta pray he can take him down n fast or else suga puts hands on him

[@AcrylicGoblin]

My mom often color coordinates her socks and sweaters. Dan is taking it up a notch with shirt/glasses combo.

[@Chazer45]

Tell your mom to get some colored lens glasses and become a true playa

[@KZ_MMA_]

O'Malley has been protected his entire UFC career, only ever TKO'd cans and guys out of their prime

[@John_Connor556]

Now he has TKO’d best BW ever…which makes Sean best BW ever 🍀 welcome to the Suga era 😉

[@GARCIAOFFICAL]

I really appreciate the amount of thought you put into your analysis videos. It really shows, great work as always 👍

[@Zdiddy44]

This dude is the GOAT of MMA breakdowns. Was an awesome fighter, and incredible speaker.

[@aaroncarlson3130]

Dan the Man...thank you 🙏

[@justintowle9902]

Incredible insight. We should look back on some of these and see how accurate Dan has been. The data is there and I have a suspicion that he might be very on point in his breakdowns

[@Fishburne-_-]

His predictions episodes for entire fight cards have been historically bad and mostly wrong

[@Rmc_______01]

Pretty amazing take that Ray Longo and Matt Serra don’t do technical coaching they just yell encouragement everyday.

[@twotoneblue1731]

The Ray Longo cornerman impression was a thing of beauty 🤌

[@johnlaird1559]

The UFC shit the bed when they let Dan go. The smartest and most thoughtful analyst they’ve ever had.

[@davidblankinship6705]

You know you're ballin when your shirts matches the lens on your glasses. Dan must be hustling ❤

[@markmcguffin873]

In terms of Aljo having no strategy - I think his 'the plan is there is no plan' is almost a strategy in itself. You used the perfect example with him swinging his head down while moving forward and Cejudo not knowing whether it was a takedown or high kick, etc. He wants to put his opponent's rational, logical mind a step behind solely because they're trying to select and utilise the 'right' techniques - while he's trying to utilise whatever techniques feel right immediately so that he's ahead of your 'OODA' loop (observation, orientation, decision, action). Whereas his tactics include a long range, haphazard kicking game and highly effective takedowns and back control - the strategy is organised chaos, stay one step ahead of a bewildered opponent, and then use superior grappling and physicality to beat them by control or sub. Aljo is a frustrating champion to watch as a fan. But his lack of ego during the fight (bobbing on his knees in a submissive position because he knows he's safe) actually adds to his strategic threat. He's highly effective.

[@Ryan-ys2bq]

Yan completed 6/13 takedowns on O Malley, despite the fence grabbing and glove grabbing that Herzog ignored constantly, he gave his back multiple times, Aljo will wrap him up pretty easily.

[@mrmolloy]

Yes but what did Yan do to Aljo in the first fight. Sean has also had a year of further training preparing for Aljo, his striking and grappling so he will be better prepared.

[@Ryan-ys2bq]

@@mrmolloy Yans got a better wrestling base than Suga and tbh Aljo shot his wad in rd 1 of that fight

[@Carbogarbo42]

Sean said he didn't train that but Yan turned into a wrestler and it caught him off guard

[@Ryan-ys2bq]

@@Carbogarbo42 so you think in a year he has learnt td defense against a much stronger grappler than Yan

[@Babbers44]

Love the breakdowns Dan class as always. Just out of curiosity why do bt not have the Dan hardy breakdown show anymore?

[@Dude09342]

Whoa Hardy doing that New York accent made me spit out my drink 😂😂😂

[@rberry5279]

Great breakdown !!

[@cozmohhh7907]

I wonder if fighters ever watch your breakdowns to gain insight pre fight

[@billwhite5285]

I remember seeing comments about Rose N doing so

[@tankerock]

Rose likes to watch breakdowns while she's having a breakdown.

[@coreydallmeyer67]

Thanks for doing these Dan

[@MoshJunkie426]

Best breakdowns from Dan constantly

[@GameOnLock96]

The vibe of this analysis reminds me of the show “Detail” on ESPN. They gotta get my guy Hardy on there.

[@reecemccullough4829]

Excited for this breakdown

[@mariohernandez1888]

T.y. Dan always good insight into the fight, this fight can go any way.

[@XxHessxX7]

Fantastic break down sir

[@theNfl_Esq]

Long time he’s been my favorite pre fight analyst. In fact I think he is the 🐐

[@danielkist1040]

Fun fact: Aljamain Sterling's last 6 opponents landed on average 90% of leg strikes. O'Malley is generally a head hunter, but wouldn't be surprised if he decided to attack the legs of Sterling. Although that would open him up for potential takedowns, so the leg strikes have to be fast or he waits for Sterling to slow down.

[@perrymaxwell4488]

How many if O'Malleys striking stats got needed up by that Mutiño fight

[@olivierolzolz1693]

You fear you might sound confusing, Dan. Let me assure you that's not the case. However, you do sound very biased. Your analysis is sharp, but from start to finish, I felt a pro-O'Malley angle. You mention Sterling's and O'Malley's record, but you say nothing about a huge difference between them. Since March 2018, they both fought 9 times: not only did Sterling win all his fights (while O'Malley won 7 out of his 9 fights), but Sterling's opponents are way better than O'Malley's. Do I start my comparison in 2018 in order to exclude Sterling's losses from my it. Sure, I'm biased too, but I acknowledge it.

[@jamesmaguire9518]

What’s crazy is I’ve watched probably 20-25 current ufc fighters pick who they think was going to win this… almost all of them said aljo would ragdoll O’Malley. The three that I saw actually pick O’Malley were adesanya, volkanovski, and Usman. So the three of the top 5 fighters picked O’Malley. I think aljo should 100% be the favorite, but I don’t think you can ever count out O’Malley. On any given day I feel like all the top 5 bantamweights can beat each other…. Great analysis on this KZbin channel.

[@Ryan-ys2bq]

Volk picked Aljo on his picks video but played the fence a little

[@TheAG13]

As always a great evaluation

[@boogyjuggy]

good breakdown....should be a great fight

[@AllAroundSleeves]

the matt sera impression was great lol keep up the good work Dan

[@tommygunnggg1127]

I could see Aljo jus walking straight over grabbing him and choking him jus like he did to Cory, but sean could catch him but im going with Aljo im done underestimating him

[@davemieze9021]

O’Malley has a presence about him in the cage that somehow snuffs out his opponents obvious strengths. Sometimes

[@NailsOeltjen]

Nice breakdown Dan! One thing I like but you missed in this one is what are the stakes for each fighter. What does it mean to win? Or lose? What might a win set up?

[@daveschurch8959]

dan, where does the full reptile thing come from? just curious and yes i appreciate david icke ;) i'm sure it's totally unrelated

[@AcrylicGoblin]

Another good breakdown. More people should see these…throw this video a comment.

[@yankeydoodoodoo]

When i want to see a breakdown of an up coming fight, This is where I be!

[@craiggrenfell3109]

Just watched this again, 11 min 30 is where you nailed it @danhardy

[@jimihendrixwiththesolo3894]

Aljo can beat on Sean for 5 rounds and will still lose to a decision. He gotta finish him!

[@1483TBird]

The OutLaw never fails when making great breakdowns

[@royaltrunks8003]

Great video. One of the 🐐

[@dionoliveira4058]

so glad you mentioned my single best reason i like Aljo, he is a natural warrior and in the moment without a program/plan or coaches leading every 2nd move

[@florianschwab5119]

I feel like you had not to prepare for this analysis and were really much enjoying to came to the 'order in chaos' conclusion to this fight. Also watching your desk and wall setup with you commentating in it makes it look like you are in the moment of cementing yourself to mount rushmore of fight analysis 😅👍🍀

[@dylane1270]

The goat of UFC analysis

[@John_Connor556]

Suga will get the dub & shock the world, can't wait 🍀🔥 🤛

[@albertawheat6832]

Yea I think you might be right, even though I hate O'Malley...Dana hand picked him.

[@goodsolonius7305]

300 million years ago we were all full reptile

[@franksnbeans5030]

I know on paper this fight really favors Aljo, but I just think O’Malley is going to get the KO.

[@LunaticTheCat]

Good call

[@TimWelchMT]

You the man Dan

[@itsboatkicks916]

Good breakdown Dan..

[@colgatetoothpastable]

Are you going to do a breakdown of the comain?

[@d0pp3lgang3r]

"I can't be preoccupied with what I think might happen." Marc Goddard

[@wadap0]

Thanks Dan!

[@zachbranam822]

How spot on was Dan on JDS vs Luque

[@richardhall5489]

I havent done martial arts since judo when i was 10 so total novice as regards real fighting. Apologies if this is a dumb question. Is there a tactic O'Malley can use against that thing Sterling does where he touches the canvas to make himself grounded so the head kick is illegal? Like stamp on the hand or kick his arm?

[@codyroberts7993]

I love the breakdowns the only one I trust & watch

[@TheDrRhodes]

I do think Aljo has certain strategic things he drills and integrates into his training to make them habits against whoever he’s fighting. Then they make small adjustments in the fight, just not a “traditional” game plan.

[@stronggirlsuperheroineonli5094]

Would be great if the fights were sometimes random. Six guys enter the arena, and they find out which one they're facing only when they walk out to the ring. No gameplanning or pre-rehearsed sequences, only reactive fighting. But then we wouldn't have these breakdowns.

[@makeaniiimpactYT]

I would love to know which person has had the best prediction record for fights.

[@DonaldGreer84]

Everything points to Aljo choking him out. I hope Sean can catch him with a knee or something.

[@John_Connor556]

Right hand it is 🔥🤛🍀

[@honkyxadonis]

It’s a close fight and then I remember who Aljo has in his camp

[@d0pp3lgang3r]

"Tactics is knowing what to do when there is something to do. Strategy is knowing what to do when there is nothing to do." Savielly Tartakower

[@andrewh3140]

But how does Sean keep him off of him? Will Shawn show Aljo the speed, reaction, and danger needed to deter him? When Aljo spams his takedowns, will he get them will he get them on the whole, or will he struggle? I guess the fellas will show us in the first round.

[@deadpanduh]

Been looking forward to this war room. Its the best out there. I think if the better fighter wins aljo will bring it home. Ngl tho im hoping the worse fighter wins.

[@_Jashawuh]

They combine for 39-3... high level

[@Ryan-ys2bq]

tbf O'Malley is 1-1-1NC against non shot top 10 fighters and the win is arguable and he fouled for the other

[@David-xh9cw]

You the man, Dan!

[@richardsweeney4020]

I would frame Dan Hardy notebook pages.

[@CYMotorsport]

8:41 I really do love ya pal but this statement is a foolish one. I don’t even understand why you’d say this. He’s literally the champion. You don’t think that’s a leap of a statement to claim he has no strategy? What is it about him that makes you say that which seems unique to him in all your analysis I’ve heard from you about title fights in particular?

[@BlessVibez]

Jheeez ISSA BIG MON TING 🚫🧢💪💪💯

[@alexcruz23]

Darnit just missed the live by one hour...maybe next time!

[@davidbritton5627]

This guys breakdowns are amazing. I’ve always been a fan of him, even when he was a douchebag who talked tons of shit lol. I always liked the guy. I think it’s absolutely insane that he’s not getting paid by UFC for the work he puts into these breakdowns. I’ve literally decided on buying PPV events in the past because he created excitement for the card. I buy about 98% of the events but Dan has pushed me over the edge at times where I wasn’t overly interested. Love his work

[@busymountain]

What's Aljos take down % and whats Sean's take down defense

[@bluemike175]

Are the new rules in place for this fight?

[@Canvas58027]

5:30 young coaches 6:40 feints 8:35 haha 19:20 slip jab

[@tcswag801]

How doesn't this channel have at least 300k subs by now ? Honestly there's a ton of trashy mma channels taking subs from the good ones , plus I prefer former or current fighters insight more anyway . Good stuff Outlaw ✌️

[@chavo303]

Keep measuring the table, bro!

[@boxcarwillie83]

Unfortunately, After seeing Yan take down Sean and counter punch him effectively, i don't see him doing better against Aljo, in fact I think it will be easy work fro the champ.

[@semlapa9864]

it all started with Yan landing that illegal elbow and oscar winning performance continues

[@antebaric3021]

Best comment

[@Mo-xf2mx]

I got O’Malley by knockout or Aljo by horseback riding

[@TheNeoSabre0]

Timbo is mark my words, going to go down as this generations greatest coach and personality. Redhawk is a fucking beast.

[@davemieze9021]

O’Malley is gonna make twice what Aljo makes even as the challenger. It could go either way, but I see O’Malley knocking him out before I see Sterling grounding him for five rounds. Just my opinion

[@bubbag3176]

Get this man in the Hall of Fame #Hardy2024

[@joselindoamaral5286]

On the graphic it says Aljo has 3 wins by tko/ko and 8 by sub. 8+3 =11. Then 11 wins by Decision. 11+11=22. I'm assuming the 1 win unaccounted for was the DQ?

[@tcswag801]

Imagine if Aljo had some "go-to" MMA boxing he could rely on . But his hands look better in the trip c fight . I'm excited for this fight big time

[@damnson940]

No1. Fighttalk