"He's not going anywhere" - Sean O'Malley believes he will fight Petr Yan multiple times as a top UFC bantamweight contender
UFC fan-favorite ‘Sugar’ Sean O’Malley seemingly believes that he and former UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan are likely to fight one another multiple times.
Speaking to BT Sport’s Adam Catterall, the 27-year-old suggested that he and Yan will more than likely be mainstays in the top five of the UFC bantamweight division for years to come. The No.13-ranked O’Malley is set to face the No.1-ranked Yan in a bantamweight bout at UFC 280 on October 22nd.
Addressing the same, Catterall opined that O’Malley's fight against the former champion would make for a great stylistic matchup. ‘Sugar’ responded by stating:
“Yeah, it is. It is. And I think we’re gonna fight multiple times. I think he’s what 28, 29?... [I'm] 27. The bantamweight division is the best division in the UFC. If I had to predict, I think me and Petr will fight multiple times. He’s not going anywhere. He’s not gonna go below top five ever."
"Once I’m up there, I don’t believe I’ll drop down either. So, I think we’ll fight multiple times. Yeah, it’s crazy that it’s happening because I’ve wanted this fight for a while. I’ve been talking sh** to Petr for a while, a little Russian, and it’s finally here. It’s exciting.”
Watch O’Malley discuss the topic at 7:15 in the video below:
Dominick Cruz on the UFC 280 matchup between Sean O’Malley and Petr Yan
'Sugar' Sean O’Malley is coming off an NC (No Contest) against the No.9-ranked Pedro Munhoz in their fight that transpired earlier this month. An eye poke from ‘Sugar’ brought the fight to an anticlimactic end. Regardless, the consensus is that a win over Petr Yan could earn O’Malley a bantamweight title shot.
Meanwhile, Yan is fresh off a razor-close split decision loss to bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling in their rematch in April. However, it’s believed that a few impressive victories could earn Yan another title shot. Speaking of which, MMA legend and former bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz recently addressed the O’Malley-Yan fight.
An unfortunate ending to this one.
@PedroMunhozmma vs. @SugaSeanMMA ends in a no-decision due to an unintentional eye poke.
#UFC276 https://t.co/ESrUXWHtff
In an interview with Helen Yee, ‘The Dominator’ noted that it’s a tough matchup for ‘Sugar’ but a fun fight nonetheless. While emphasizing that any top ten bantamweight could win the title on a given night, Cruz said:
“Yan, he's a little shorter. And O'Malley's tall, obviously. He's a southpaw. But, we can also see Yan switching stances. He goes back and forth... It's gonna be a fun one to watch. The bantamweight division is on fire. I mean anybody in the top eight or nine, basically top ten, any of us could be world champions at any given moment."
Watch Cruz’s assessment below: