"Both guys have big opportunities to take what the other one has" - Paul Felder sheds light on intriguing bantamweight clash between Sean O'Malley and Petr Yan
The Sean O'Malley vs. Petr Yan fight is less than two weeks away and is part of arguably the most stacked card of 2022.
O'Malley is currently a 3:1 underdog against Yan, and considering the enormous step up in competition for 'Sugar', the betting odds make sense. 'No Mercy' will only be O'Malley's second ranked opponent after Pedro Munhoz. However, the fight was stopped in the first round due to an inadvertent eye-poke by 'Sugar' and was declared a no-contest.
Many fans feel that Yan will go into the fight with everything to lose due to him fighting a No.13-ranked opponent whilst being ranked No.1 in the division. However, UFC commentator Paul Felder believes that the Russian has as much to gain in this fight as O'Malley.
Speaking to ESPN MMA journalist Brett Okamoto, 'The Irish Dragon' said:
"For Petr Yan, you've got the opportunity to shut this kid [O'Malley] up. You've got this brash, big ego, all this energy and so much name behind him. Petr Yan has got the skills, but namewise maybe not as much as Sean [O'Malley]. Both guys have great opportunities to take what the other one has."
Watch the video below from 5:40:
If Sean O'Malley is able to beat Petr Yan at UFC 280, then a title shot could follow shortly after. As one of the most popular fighters in MMA, 'Sugar' will have enough hype behind him to sell out any arena if there is a UFC title on the line.
Sean O'Malley speaks about the benefit of being an underdog against Petr Yan
Sean O'Malley is less than two weeks away from a fight that could alter the trajectory of his career forever. A win over No.1-ranked bantamweight Petr Yan has the potential to catapult 'Sugar' to a level of stardom reserved only for the likes of Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov.
O'Malley believes that he will knock Yan out come October 22, but the bookmakers have currently listed 'Sugar' as a 3:1 underdog. Being an underdog is not something that bothers the American and he instead chooses to look at the positive side of the label.
While being interviewed by TMZ Sports, 'Sugar' gave his thoughts on the current betting odds for his fight with Petr Yan.
"Yeah 3 to 1, sounds like some die-hard 'Sugar' fans could really make some serious cheddar. I know a lot of people always bet on me, and it's always kind of hard to make good money on me. I'm always a pretty big favorite."
Watch the interview below from 0:30:
Sean O'Malley is as confident as ever heading into his fight at UFC 280 and is ready to shock the world by putting Petr Yan to sleep.