Sean O’Malley: Impressive win over Petr Yan at UFC 280 is one step closer to ‘Conor level’ stardom

Sean O’Malley doesn’t simply need to be one of many UFC’s stars, he needs to be the star.

The 27-year-old bantamweight contender fights Petr Yan at UFC 280 on Oct. 29 with a possible title shot on the road, however O’Malley believes {that a} assertion win over the previous champion may result in greater than only a shot at UFC gold. O’Malley is already one of the crucial talked about fighters on the roster and his objective is to realize the identical notoriety as mainstream famous person Conor McGregor.

“Normally I’d say persons are hoping I don’t win, however to be trustworthy, I might say the vast majority of folks that suppose I gained’t win truly need me to win,” O’Malley mentioned on ESPN’s DC & RC present. “Individuals desire a famous person. There’s actually nobody within the UFC proper now that’s that Conor degree. Me, I am going on the market and beat Petr in spectacular style, I’m climbing. I’m not going to be there but and I do know that, however I’m climbing to develop into that man. I need to be the Conor, I don’t need it to be aggressive to the place it’s like, ‘You’re up there with this.’ I need to be that man.

“And I feel the UFC followers need that. They need any person that they will get tremendous, tremendous enthusiastic about, so most individuals suppose I’m going to lose however I feel the vast majority of folks need me to go on the market and win, which is uncommon, I don’t normally suppose that, however I do suppose on this case that’s what it’s.”

Along with the excitement O’Malley has generated outdoors of the octagon, he’s had loads of success in it as properly, going 7-1 (1 NC) to start out his UFC profession. Nonetheless, he’s coming off of an unsatisfying no-contest in opposition to Pedro Munhoz this previous July in a aggressive bout that was waved off when O’Malley unintentionally poked Munhoz within the eye.

O’Malley nonetheless seeks that signature second to raise his identify to the subsequent degree and he was requested if Yan may very well be his Jose Aldo, who McGregor knocked out in 13 seconds at UFC 194 to develop into the undisputed UFC featherweight champion and the largest identify in all of MMA.

“I don’t suppose I’ve to go on the market and knock Petr Yan out very quick, I don’t need to knock him out in beneath a minute to get that Jose Aldo second,” O’Malley mentioned. “I feel simply beating Petr—I understand how robust he’s, I understand how good he’s. I am going on the market and beat Petr in a choice, I’m not going to be essentially the most excited, I do desire a end, however beating Petr is a giant deal in itself.

“I’ve about 10 extra years on this sport, so my Jose Aldo second, my fast knockout like that, I imagine may very well be something. You don’t go right into a struggle anticipating to knock anybody out that quick. I might not be shocked if I did that, to not Petr, however to anyone, I imagine I’m able to knocking folks out that quick for certain particularly if they arrive in and so they make a mistake. This may very well be a Jose Aldo second, not essentially in knocking him out that quick, however a knockout in spectacular style over him in Abu Dhabi, yeah, it may very well be as massive as that.”

Yan, a former undisputed and interim UFC champion, has been on a tear since becoming a member of the promotion in 2018, going 8-2 together with his solely losses coming to Aljamain Sterling through disqualification and break up resolution. He’s presently the No. 2 bantamweight within the MMA Fighting Global Rankings.

Given Yan’s spectacular credentials, O’Malley is aware of that no matter technique he beats him by, it is going to be sufficient to persuade the matchmakers to e-book him in a championship struggle subsequent.

“I am going on the market and beat Petr, yeah, I get a title shot,” O’Malley mentioned. “It simply occurs to be an excellent matchup for me, however realistically, after that Pedro struggle, I went to the UFC and mentioned, ‘Hey, I need to e-book a struggle.’ Petr Yan was the one man within the prime 10 that didn’t have a struggle booked. He was the one man.

“So it simply made sense. I am going on the market and beat up Petr, I get a title shot.”