"Is it a complete robbery?" - Alexander Volkanovski reveals whether he thinks judges picked the wrong winner in recently concluded Sean O'Malley vs. Petr Yan clash at UFC 280
Sean O'Malley scored a huge upset win over Petr Yan via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) on the UFC 280 main card. UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, like many others, disagreed with the judges and had Yan winning.
UFC280 Official Scorecard: Petr Yan vs Sean O’Malley (@SugaSeanMMA)
All Scorecards: ufc.ac/3CWSM8t
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However, 'The Great' isn't sure if it can be deemed an absolute robbery. According to Volkanovski, the fight was a close affair with both fighters winning one of the first two rounds. While 'The Great' thinks Yan did enough in the third to win the fight, the same could be argued in favor of O'Malley.
Volkanovski thinks O'Malley is likely to get a title shot next and also believes that 'Sugar' has a fair claim to it. The UFC featherweight champion said on his YouTube channel:
"It was a great fight. It was a very competitive fight. Who do I think won? I thought Petr Yan won... I thought maybe Petr Yan did enough, but two of the judges say different. Is it a complete robbery? I don't know. It was a close fight. You know, they're both obviously hurting each other. Very close fight, very fun fight. Is Sean O'Malley next for the title fight. I think that's what they wanted."
Catch Alexander Volkanovski's comments (1:15) below:
Sean O'Malley claims that he is bound to become champion
While many disagreed with the split decision of the UFC 280 clash between Petr Yan and Sean O'Malley, 'Sugar' managed to outland 'No Mercy' 84 to 58 in significant strikes as per the unofficial numbers. While the win remains controversial, people can unanimously agree that O'Malley belongs to the upper echelons of the bantamweight division.
Who did you have winning this fight? 🤔 #UFC280 https://t.co/XgpZaIKcu2
O'Malley himself did not sound very confident of his win and during his post-fight octagon interview said that he would have to go back and watch the fight.
However, there is one thing 'Sugar' is confident of: becoming a UFC champion. The bantamweight superstar believes eventual championship status is inevitable for him given how much fans want it. The 27-year-old said during the post-fight presser:
“It’s inevitable. I turn 28 [on Sunday], and I’m going to be in this sport for a long time. People want me to be champ, so it’s going to happen sooner or later.”
Catch Sean O'Malley's comments (2:06) below: