"Petr turned down Chito, so I don't think he really had an option" - Sean O'Malley believes UFC "bullied" Petr Yan into fighting him

Sean O'Malley vs. Petr Yan is a matchup that few fans saw coming. Many fans and pundits are confused as to why 'No Mercy' chose to accept a fight with 'Sugar' given that a win will likely serve Yan minimally, whereas a loss to O'Malley could see the Russian slip down the rankings.

In an interview with Ariel Helwani, Yan said that he chose to fight O'Malley and was not forced into taking the fight. However, while talking to the media at UFC 280 media day, 'Sugar' suggested that the UFC bullied 'No Mercy' into accepting the matchup.

"He turned down Chito [Vera], Petr turned down Chito. So I don't really think he had an option. I think the UFC went to him and said, 'Hey, you can't just bkeep turning these guys down. You have to fight the Sugar Show.' I know he was saying he picked that fight, I don't believe that. I think he got bullied into it."

Watch O'Malley's media day appearance below:

Sean O'Malley is currently ranked No.11 at bantamweight, and many fans feel that a fight with the No.1-ranked Petr Yan has come too soon for the rising star.

Nevertheless, 'Sugar' is confident that he will put in his best performance yet, when he faces his toughest test yet in Abu Dhabi.

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Sean O'Malley pokes fun at UFC 280 backup fighter situation

There has recently been some confusion surrounding the emergency replacement fighter for the UFC 280 main event.

Beneil Dariush, who will face Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 280, claimed to have been made the backup fighter for Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev. However, current featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski was then announced as the official replacement fighter.

Sean O'Malley released a tweet last week poking fun at the confusion, writing:

"UFC just informed me I will be the back up fighter for main event and co main"

Check out the tweet below:

The emergency replacement fighter has been under the microscope for UFC 280, largely due to Oliveira's weight miss in the previous lightweight title fight with Justin Gathje.

Should Volkanovski not be called into action in Abu Dhabi, it appears likely that he will fight the winner of Oliveira vs. Makhachev. 'The Great' has aspirations of being a UFC double champion, and has also promised to keep both belts active should he capture the lightweight crown.

For Sean O'Malley, a title fight could be around the corner, too. A victory over Petr Yan would likely secure a shot at the bantamweight strap against the winner of Aljamain Sterling vs. T.J. Dillashaw.