Henry Cejudo commends Sean O'Malley for picking the right fight against Petr Yan but says he needs to take the fight to the ground – "He's gonna chew your leg"
Sean O'Malley and Petr Yan are set to collide on a stacked UFC 280 card later this month. Former double champ Henry Cejudo recently previewed the upcoming bantamweight matchup.
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Many are counting Sean O'Malley out in his UFC 280 matchup against Petr Yan as he enters as an overwhelming underdog. Speaking on his YouTube segment Breaking Down the Fight, Henry Cejudo shared that he believes the No.13-ranked bantamweight does have a chance against his No.1-ranked opponent:
"I think he picked the right fight against the right opponent. The right opponent of just fighting another striker, but my question is, to be the best guy in the world can you defend takedowns? Can you take somebody down? How good are you on bottom? How good are you in the clinch?"
Cejudo questioned whether O'Malley has the experience to survive in a variety of positions against Yan, while noting that it was the right decision from 'Sugar' to fight another striker. Cejudo shared that he spoke with O'Malley's coach, who stated that O'Malley is surprisingly good at submissions. Cejudo discussed this:
"Can you transition that into a fight or are we going to actually see it? Because Sean, if you stay on your feet with Petr Yan, he's gonna chew your leg."
Cejudo would add that Yan is great at making transitions during a fight, but it is always on his feet. According to Cejudo, O'Malley can win if he mixes up his grappling with his striking.
Watch Henry Cejudo preview Sean O'Malley and Petr Yan below:
Sean O'Malley questions betting odds in UFC 280 matchup against Petr Yan
Sean O'Malley will likely be a big underdog heading into his UFC 280 matchup with Petr Yan. During a recent appearance on DC & RC, 'Sugar' shared that while he is excited to be the underdog for the first time in his career, he doesn't agree with the oddsmakers:
"To the casual, to the dummy, the odds seem about right. To a high level fighter, someone with a high level IQ, I think that the odds would be a lot closer. I've heard a lot of the pros talk about it, they're not necessarily counting me out."
O'Malley would add that he expects to defeat Yan at UFC 280, and that he has gained extra motivation due to being an overwhelming underdog.
Watch Sean O'Malley's comments on being the underdog below (starting at the 31:23 mark):