Sean O’Malley is swinging for the fences.
At UFC 280, O’Malley will face by far the most important take a look at of his profession when he faces former bantamweight champion Petr Yan in a featured predominant card bout. It’s an enormous step up in competitors for O’Malley, however one he believes has little or no draw back and will doubtlessly set up him as a transcendent star within the sport.
“It’s laborious not to have a look at it like that,” O’Malley instructed Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. “I don’t really need that to be my mindset going into this combat, ‘Nicely if I lose, I lose to the No. 1 man.’ That’s what it’s although. However I simply imagine in creating these highly effective moments, these magical moments, and I feel that is how superstars are created. I am going on the market and starch Petr Yan, Oct. 22 in Abu Dhabi, that’s large. That’s how superstars are born and I simply really feel like it is a good, good combat in my profession. Good time, good opponent. It’s simply my time to go on the market. …
“I’m simply excited concerning the alternative, and I imagine I’ll capitalize on the chance. I feel the upper stage guys I combat, the higher ‘Suga’ you guys are going to get. I’ve not been in a position to present my true MMA abilities contained in the octagon. I actually did assume Pedro [Munhoz] was going to be the one to deliver it out of me. It wasn’t, clearly. That went the way it went, however I feel Petr is the man to see how good I actually am.”
O’Malley is already one of the crucial in style younger fighters within the UFC, however he has but to have in-cage success commensurate to his stardom. “Suga” was given the chance to combat his manner into the top-10 earlier this month when he confronted Pedro Munhoz at UFC 276, however the bout resulted in a no-contest following an eye fixed poke from O’Malley. Provided that, some followers have been stunned on the reserving, and UFC President Dana White even admits to thinking the fight was a terrible idea till matchmaker Sean Shelby satisfied him in any other case. Come combat night time, O’Malley intends to reward Shelby’s religion in him.
“As soon as I faceplant Petr within the canvas, Dana might be like, ‘Okay, that was a superb combat,’” O’Malley mentioned. “Regardless, me versus Petr is an epic combat. It’s a candy, candy kickboxing combat if I needed to guess. Two very excessive stage strikers, two very excessive stage MMA fighters. It’s going to be a really fascinating combat and I imagine I’ve what it takes to place Petr’s lights out.”
Whereas O’Malley might have so much to achieve from this matchup, Yan finds himself within the reverse state of affairs. The previous bantamweight champion is coming off a split-decision loss to Aljamain Sterling for the title at UFC 273, and is at present the No. 2-ranked 135 pounder in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings, the place O’Malley is unranked.
That’s numerous threat for Yan, and O’Malley mentioned he wasn’t positive “No Mercy” would have an interest. However he thinks finally Yan acknowledged him as extra essential than rankings may recommend.
“I wasn’t anticipating him to simply accept it to be sincere,” O’Malley mentioned. “It’s a dangerous combat for Petr. He’s not silly. Nicely, possibly he’s. He’s a excessive stage boxer, he’s a excessive stage MMA fighter, he’s obtained to have a look at me and know that I’ve legit abilities. I’m not likely within the ‘Prime-10’ however I feel in his thoughts a win over me’s an enormous win. Even when Chito supposedly ‘beat me’ he obtained a combat, he fought Jose Aldo who was coming off a title combat. So a win over me isn’t nothing. I’m the most important title within the bantamweight division, I’m one of many largest names within the UFC, so I suppose in these phrases I’m not stunned he took the combat. Stylistically, we get to see how that performs out Oct. 22.”
UFC 280 takes place Oct. 22 on the Etihad Enviornment in Abu Dhabi.
