Petr Yan vs Sean O’Malley at UFC 280: Who’s got more to lose?
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Petr Yan (L), Sean O'Malley (R)
Petr Yan takes on Sean O’Malley at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi. Both the fighters are one or two fights away from a title shot. Who’s got more to lose in coming a cropper?
The world was shocked when Aljamain Sterling wrestled and dominated Petr Yan on the ground to a split decision victory earlier this year. No one would have seen that one coming from a mile away, given that their first fight was an all-out dominant affair for the Russian. However, he would eventually lose the title to Aljamain Sterling due to a disqualification, because of an illegal knee.
On the other side of the tape, stands the ever so-charismatic Sean O’Malley, who is fresh off a no contest with Pedro Munhoz, due to an eye poke that rendered Munhoz unable to continue. Many headlines were made of the fight, with many fighters and fans attacking Munhoz for his “play-acting” and attempt to eke out a disqualification victory.
Now, the Russian and the American face off against one another in Abu Dhabi on the 22nd of October. This is an extremely high stakes match-up for the bantamweight division. Yan is #1 in the division, while Sean O’Malley sits at #12. There are about 11 fighters between them in the rankings, but that, in no way is an estimation of their skill.
The reason for O’Malley’s lower ranking is the style of promotion that the UFC has adopted with him. The UFC has seen too many “future champs” fizzle out (Sage Northcutt comes to mind here). Therefore, for someone who’s billed as inevitable champion of the 135ers, the promotion decided to take it slow for him. That is till now.
A win over Sean O’Malley would go to show what a masterful fighter Petr Yan really is. By beating one of the most intense hypetrains in recent history, Yan will not only propel himself back to a title shot, but also cement his place as one of the greatest bantamweights. That is, if he is victorious over not only O’Malley but also the victor of the UFC 280 co-main title fight (Sterling vs Dillashaw).
If Yan fails to win against O’Malley, his own plaudits would take a deep dive, as would he (in the rankings). Working back to a title shot would be a longer road then.
On the other hand, Sean O’Malley has been given the chance to showcase his elite skillset against one of, if not the best bantamweight on the planet right. If he does beat “No Mercy”, it will just be a matter of time before he gets a title shot and becomes 135-pound champion. O’Malley wouldn’t forsake too many fans if he did end up losing, given he hasn’t had a ton of experience in the upper echelons yet.
The winner of the co-main event at UFC 280 holds the cards for Petr Yan and Sean O’Malley’s title aspirations
UFC 280 is obviously a big course setter for the lightweight division. Between two titans in Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev, history will be made.
In the co-main event of the night, bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling takes on former champion TJ Dillashaw. TJ Dillashaw had been away from the sport for a bit before this bout, serving his ban for doping. Stripped of the title, other bantamweights came to the fore in his absence. In his comeback fight, he beat Cory Sandhagen to a split decision.
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Whoever trumps between the two will probably face off against the winner of Yan vs. O’Malley. If Petr Yan were to emerge victorious, he would take on either Aljamain Sterling (who he’s lost to twice already), or TJ Dillashaw. Despite the two losses against Sterling, if they were to rematch again, Yan wouldn’t be too big of an underdog, given his skill level. A match-up against Dillashaw would mean an all-out striker’s brawl.
Sean O’Malley has not faced either of the two protagonists of UFC 280’s co-main event. With Dillashaw, he could probably expect to keep the fight in the centre, trading blows till one falls, while Sterling would offer him the threat of takedowns and submissions.
Who do you think wins between Petr Yan and Sean O’Malley? Let us know!
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Udayan Mukherjee
(382 Articles Published)