Sean O'Malley is the UFC bantamweight champion of the world after knocking out Aljamain Sterling in the second round of the UFC 292 main event in Boston. While Aljamain Sterling wants a much-deserved rematch, and Merab Dvalishvili wants his opportunity, neither is probably going to happen with the long-standing rivalry with Marlon Vera taking center stage — which could be the beginning of a brand new era at 135.

On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck reacts to O'Malley's championship earning finish, his superstar status, and why meritocracy could be out the window for the foreseeable future. Additionally, topics include where Sterling goes from here and how he could realistically find himself in another title fight, or get a second shot with O'Malley, where the title change leaves Dvalishvili, Henry Cejudo, Cory Sandhagen, Petr Yan, and others, UFC 293 in Sydney headlined by Israel Adesanya vs. Sean Strickland for the middleweight title, Mayra Bueno Silva announcing she failed a drug test stemming from her stoppage win over Holly Holm, and much more.

You can listen live to Heck of a Morning Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 10 a.m. ET on the MMA Fighting Twitter Spaces.

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