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No.13-ranked bantamweight Sean O'Malley is set to take on No.1-ranked bantamweight Petr Yan at UFC 280 in what will be his first title contender fight.
A victory for O'Malley likely means that he will face the winner of UFC 280's co-main event between bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling and No.2-ranked bantamweight T.J. Dillashaw. Bantamweight contender Cory Sandhagen shared that he believes Yan is too big of a step up in competition for O'Malley while speaking during his press conference for UFC Vegas 60.
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Many fans backed to Cory Sandhagen's remarks on the Sean O'Malley and Petr Yan matchup:
Others believe that this was the next logical step in Sean O'Malley's career:
Some fans even used Cory Sandhagen's comments as an opportunity to call him out:
While fans may not agree with Cory Sandhagen's assessment that Petr Yan is a step up in competition for Sean O'Malley, it generally seems to be due to personal bias towards O'Malley. When looking at his UFC career, it is impossible to deny his talent.
However, he has yet to pick up a victory over any fighter currently ranked in the bantamweight division. His two fights against ranked bantamweights took place against current No.5-ranked bantamweight Marlon Vera and No.9-ranked bantamweight Pedro Munhoz. They ended in a loss and no contest respectively, and Vera was not ranked fifth in the divison at the time.
What to expect from Sean O'Malley versus Petr Yan
Cory Sandhagen isn't the only fighter who believes that Petr Yan is a big step up in competition for Sean O'Malley. Paddy Pimblett recently made similar claims. He also shared that he believes the fight is a 'win-win' for O'Malley. It is hard to argue with Pimblett. Even if Yan is victorious, O'Malley will receive the benefit of the doubt from most fans for losing to one of the best fighters in the division.
O'Malley fully expects to defeat his UFC 280 opponent. 'Sugar' has stated that he will be looking for a finish despite labeling Yan as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in mixed martial arts. Many believe that O'Malley is a future champion and that losing to Yan would not impact that.
O'Malley has his eyes set on another lofty goal. He recently shared that he would like for his career to play out like Conor McGregor's, where every fight of his is a massive pay-per-view event for the sport.
