UFC 292 is in the books and we're now officially in the Sean O'Malley era. That's because “Sugar” became the new bantamweight champion following a second-round TKO win over Aljamain Sterling in the headliner. In the co-main event, Weili Zhang defended her women's strawweight title against Amanda Lemos. Ian Garry continued his undefeated run with a dominant performance over Neil Magny while Chris Weidman returned to action for the first time in over two years against Brad Tavares following his gruesome leg break.

So with all that said, here are five things we learned from the events of UFC 292 last night in Boston, Mass.

1. Sean O'Malley is the real deal

If there were any doubts about O'Malley being the real deal after his controversial split decision win over Petr Yan last year, there certainly isn't now. The 28-year-old will get the plaudits for his accurate counter right hand that dropped Sterling which ultimately led to the finish, but he deserves credit for a lot more.

Some people may be wondering why Sterling didn't go for the takedown more in the first round as he only had two failed attempts towards the end in the clinch. However, a big reason for that was O'Malley's effective lateral movement and footwork which made it hard for Sterling to find an opening, close the distance and get into takedown range. This was admitted as much by the former champion post-fight who ultimately took a risk in the second round to get close and got clipped.

O'Malley will have no shortage of future foes looking to take him down. However, they will have to do it with caution or risk getting clipped in the same way.

2. Marlon Vera is still among the elite

Marlon Vera's stock may have dropped just a bit after he was outclassed by Cory Sandhagen earlier this year. However, it may have just been an off night against one of the best strikers in the division. Vera showed he still is among the very elite after a striking masterclass against Pedro Munhoz. In a fight between two of the most durable bantamweights who have never been finished, it was Vera who managed his distance better, was the quicker fighter and landed the more damaging shots especially with a stinging jab that backed Munhoz up multiple times at one point in the fight.

By the end of the contest, Munhoz's face was red and all bruised up while Vera remarkably looked as if he hadn't just been competing in a 15-minute brawl. It was also good timing for Vera to return to the win column as O'Malley called him out for a fight in December. Given their history, it's certainly a fight that's possible and could sell well.

3. Weili Zhang could reign for a long time

Weili Zhang earned the first defense of her second reign as women's strawweight champion in style after a dominant unanimous decision win over Amanda Lemos in the UFC 292 co-main event. There were some scares for Zhang such as the D'Arce choke attempts from Lemos, but overall, it was complete and utter domination from the Chinese superstar who set a record for the biggest striking differential in UFC women's history after outlanding the Brazilian 288 to 21.

Other than her two defeats to Rose Namajunas — who has now moved up to flyweight — Zhang remains undefeated in the UFC. Tatiana Suarez seems to be the only real threat to Zhang, but should the latter get past her, we could be in for a long reign with “Magnum” as the 115-pound champion.

4. Ian Garry has a bright future in more ways than one

Garry remained undefeated with a dominant unanimous decision win over Neil Magny in which he delivered a leg-kicking masterclass. Given that Magny's leg was compromised early in the first round, Garry will receive some criticism for not being able to finish a one-legged fighter. However, he argues he showed patience to not rush in for the finish — and potentially end up getting caught — while dealing out damage over the course of three rounds. He is now 6-0 in the UFC as a result.

In the post-fight press conference, Garry mentioned how he's not ready for a title shot anytime soon and would require at least four more wins and some more training in jiu-jitsu before he's ready. It's a great attitude to have as Garry plans on being the complete product before challenging for UFC gold.

5. Chris Weidman needs to retire after UFC 292

Chris Weidman made his miraculous return to action following his horrific leg break two years ago. However, while his right leg held up during the fight, it was his left leg that took plenty of damage due to Tavares and his brutal kicks. Weidman was severely compromised with his left leg early on in the first round, but showed great heart to not only land some shots on Tavares, but finish the full 15 minutes. It was a unanimous decision defeat in the end, but still a victory in many ways.

All that said, Weidman should really consider retiring. He wasn't able to land one takedown and before he decided to brawl with Tavares, seemed a bit gun shy as well. He's 39 and lost seven of his last nine outings. He made his return and inspired many people by doing so. It's time to call it a day now — UFC president Dana White feels the same way.