Sean O’Malley considers fighting Petr Yan his ticket to the top in the division.
O’Malley, Yan will fight in UFC 280 Abu Dhabi on October. 22, A bout which pits “Sugar”, a popular UFC bantamweight champ against Yan. At a press conference in London on Friday for the upcoming event, O’Malley spoke about why the Yan bout is so important.
“Obviously, I haven’t gotten to prove [I belong at the top],” O’Malley said. The Pedro [Munhoz] battle didn’t end as I expected. However, I believe I have shown that I am capable of hanging with top -10 men. I am now the number one. 1 guy, this is a huge test and I believe I will rise to the occasion.”
He didn’t hesitate when asked if a win over Yan earns him a title shot.
“One-hundred percent,” O’Malley said.
The top of the bantamweight division is as busy as any in the UFC, with champion Aljamain Sterling expected to defend his title against two-time champion T.J. Dillashaw also at UFC 280, and key contender matchups featuring Jose Aldo vs. Merab Dvalishvili and Marlon Vera vs. Dominick Cruz — all four of whom in the top 15 of MMA Fighting’s Global Rankings — set to take place in the coming months.
O’Malley was prompted to give his assessment on the possibilities ahead of him, starting with who he thinks will win the upcoming bantamweight title fight.
“Interesting fight,” O’Malley said. “If I had to guess, I’d say T.J. can get the job done, but you can’t count ‘Aljo’ out.”
The Vera vs. Cruz fight features a previous O’Malley nemesis in “Chito” Vera, the first fighter to hand O’Malley a loss. O’Malley has repeatedly disputed the result as he suffered a leg injury during the contest, but a potential rematch remains intriguing to him.
“Possibly,” O’Malley said of a second fight with Vera. If I can get past Petr, then I feel I have earned the title shot. My first defense of the title sounds very nice. I’ll get that fight back regardless. This is the sport I will be engaging in for the next 10 year.
When the possibility of Aldo being in a fight was discussed, O’Malley listened to Aldo while considering the possibilities for a route that would lead them to battling five times each in a championship bout.
“I think he said he wants to beat Merab and then fight for the title,” O’Malley said. I would not mind beating Petr, then letting Jose fight to win the title and fighting the winner. Jose is a legend, and should fight for the .”
belt.
