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Sean O'Malley has impressed bantamweight champion, Aljamain Sterling, with his confidence ahead of his UFC 280 bout with Petr Yan.
O'Malley is set to face the toughest test of his career so far when he steps into the octagon against former bantamweight champion Yan. The 27-year-old is one of the hottest prospects in MMA and has earned six post-fight bonuses in eight of his UFC appearances so far.
While fans were left stunned when the fight was announced, majorly due to the disparity between the rankings, a win for O'Malley would catapult him immediately into title contention. 'Sugar' is currently ranked No.12 ranked bantamweight whereas 'No Mercy' is ranked No.1.
O'Malley took to social media with a message for both his fans and doubters not to be surprised if he gets the victory against the dominant Russian.
"Don't be surpised when I get the job done."
The tweet prompted a response from the current bantamweight champ, who hopes the pair can put on a show.
"Looking forward to the show"
Check out the tweet below:
On the same card, Aljamain Sterling will defend the 135lbs title against former champ T.J. Dillashaw in the co-main event. Dillashaw recently served a two-year suspension for failing a drugs test but made a successful return when he defeated Cory Sandhagen, earning himself another chance at the title.
Sean O'Malley believes the bout with Petr Yan will stay on the feet
Sean O'Malley has revealed that he isn't underestimating Petr Yan's grappling ability but would prefer their UFC 280 stay on their feet.
'Sugar' referred to 'No Mercy's two title fights against Aljamain Sterling where he demonstrated a high-level of ground defense despite coming up short in both. O'Malley openly shared that he's more than willing to go to the mat and choke out Yan if necessary, but if the 27-year-old has a preference, he would prefer to stand-up and swing against the former champ.
In a recent interview with The Schmo, Sean O'Malley said:
"I would get the same satisfaction choking out Petr Yan [as knocking him out] but I definitely I just see this being a sweet kickboxing match. I've said that since the fight's been announced. Aljamain's grappling is extremely high level and for 'Aljo' to take Petr's back and have that defense shows how good Petr is with being able to defend Aljo from choking him."
Out of O'Malley's 15 wins as a professional, 'Sugar' has won 11 via knockout and one via submission. With regards to his preparations for Yan, 'No Mercy' is yet to be finished or submitted throughout his MMA career so far.
Catch Sean O'Malley's full interview below:
