Sean O'Malley "genuinely wouldn't be surprised" if he knocks Petr Yan out cold at UFC 280
Sean O'Malley claimed in a recent interview that he wouldn't be surprised if he knocked out Petr Yan at UFC 280. The way he sees it, the favorable outcome would, in fact, be as he might have expected in the first place.
In a one-on-one interview with ESPN MMA reporter Brett Okamoto, 'Sugar' stated that this belief of his stems from immense confidence in his skill set:
"I go out there and put his lights out... I genuinely wouldn't be surprised. I know what I'm capable of. I know how quick I am, I know how sharp I am. If I go out there and face plant him, I'd be happy, I'd be excited. I wouldn't necessarily be surprised by that, 'Holy s**t! I did that?'"
Watch the full interview below:
27-year-old Sean O'Malley has taken the MMA world by storm ever since he graduated from the ranks of Dana White's Contender Series (DWCS) back in June, 2017.
The American is one of the most popular fighters to come out of the immensely popular feeder show. In his 17-fight long professional MMA career, O'Malley has 11 KO/TKO victories to his name.
The upcoming fight against former bantamweight champion Petr Yan is definitely a major step-up in the competition for the No.11-ranked bantamweight contender. However, the surging superstar hailing from Montana is brimming with confidence and is raring to go.
Dana White believes Sean O'Malley can be the next massive global superstar for the organization
Sean O'Malley has a massive fan following which in turn ensures better sales for the UFC every time he steps inside the octagon. Combat sports fans from across the globe and popular big names in the content creator space all tune in to watch their beloved fighter deliver iconic moments inside the octagon.
'Sugar's rise is, to some degree, reminiscent of the rise of UFC's biggest superstar Conor McGregor. The bantamweight contender has stated on several occasions that he draws inspiration from the journey of 'The Notorious' and aims to emulate the same.
:“I’m going to be Conor McGregor level. I’m going to be a superstar and I’m on pace for that.”
Another dominant performance from Sean O’Malley (@SugaSeanMMA) gets him one step closer to his ultimate goal #UFC264 🔉⬆️
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The way Dana White sees it, the upcoming fight with Petr Yan could be the breakthrough moment in O'Malley's career, similar to when McGregor fought Jose Aldo.
Speaking on My Mom's Basement with Robbie Fox, the UFC President said:
“There was this comparison recently where Sean O'Malley said, 'I would love to be the next Conor McGregor and be a big global superstar. Well, it’s about winning key fights. He’s already got that thing that people like about him. Now, it’s about winning key fights. This fight [vs. Yan] for him is like Conor’s Jose Aldo fight.”
Watch the full interview below: