"Yan had a hard time with long-range"- Chael Sonnen breaks down the possible advantages that Sean O'Malley could have in his fight against former champ Petr Yan at UFC 280
With UFC 280 fast approaching, there is a wide consensus among fans that Sean O'Malley is going to struggle when he steps into the octagon to face Petr Yan. However, Chael Sonnen has now broken down the huge advantages 'Sugar' has in the bout.
The 27-year-old has received criticism for taking a slow route to a top 10 spot by facing a considerable number of unranked opponents. Now has the chance to silence the doubters when he competes on October 22.
While discussing the bantamweight clash, Chael Sonnen opened up on where he believes Petr Yan may have trouble in the bout and the aspect of the fight Sean O'Malley could be successful in.
"Yan had a hard time with long-range and I'm just giving the example of [Cory] Sandhagen. Sandhagen [in] round one was very hard for Yan...Yan wasn't able to get inside, but I left with a massive respect for Yan because, even though he took those bombs, he weathered the storm, he figured it out on the fly, and get did [eventually] get inside. Sean O'Malley is one of the few guys that has a reach advantage but knows how to use it... If Sean is to come out and start finding Yan early on, he just has to repeat that."
Despite having difficulties with the range, Petr Yan is an expert at adapting throughout the fight and excelling in the latter rounds. The Russian must be careful not to let the three-round clash get away from him and put pressure on his opponent from the opening moments.
Check out what Chael Sonnen had to say about the upcoming 135lb brawl:
What does a win over Sean O'Malley do for Petr Yan?
Currently sitting as the #1 bantamweight of the world, Petr Yan has the tough task of defending his spot against a hungry prospect. What will the 135er gain with a win at UFC 280?
In what could be considered a lose-lose situation for 'No Mercy', a win over the the 12th ranked fighter in the division may not win a lot of plaudits. On the other hand, he could cement himself as the best striker in the weight-class.
A win should automatically put Yan in title contention. Depending on who walks away with the strap between Aljamain Sterling and T.J. Dillashaw next weekend, the brawler may have to face one more contender before earning his shot at gold.