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The MMA fanbase was shocked when it was announced that Sean O'Malley would be taking on Petr Yan at UFC 280: Oliveira vs. Makhachev. The bout is a big step-up from O'Malley's previous opponents, but how does 'Sugar' match up physically with the Russian?
Sean O'Malley is considerably taller than Yan, with the American standing at 180cm compared to the Russian's height of 169cm. O'Malley's reach of 183cm is also 13cm longer than his opponent's.
When it comes to weight, the two fighters last weighed in almost identically, with Sean O'Malley just 1lbs heavier than Yan on the official scale. O'Malley could weigh slightly heavier on fight night due to his larger frame.
However, the major advantage for 'No Mercy' is his experience inside the octagon and the level of opponents he has faced since joining the UFC.
'Sugar' has fought nine times in the organization, winning seven of those bouts and losing once to Marlon Vera. The 27-year-old also had a no-contest result against Pedro Munhoz in his latest fight due to an illegal eye poke. Out of those seven wins, the toughest opponent O'Malley has beaten is Raulian Paiva, meaning that Petr Yan is a huge jump in terms of competition.
Meanwhile, Yan has been in the octagon with the likes of Aljamain Sterling (twice), Cory Sandhagen, Jose Aldo and Urijah Faber. The Russian currently has a UFC record of eight wins and two defeats. The losses came against current bantamweight champion Sterling, with the first being a controversial disqualification.
Watch Yan vs. Sterling 1 highlights here:
Sterling was deemed unable to continue fighting in the first meeting against Yan after an illegal knee injured him. Many believed 'Funk Master' oversold his injury, as it was clear 'No Mercy' was dominating the fight. However, the American won a split decision in the rematch, causing Yan's second loss in the organization.
Did Sean O'Malley compete against light heavyweight Hector Lombard?
In 2019, Sean O'Malley took on former UFC middleweight and welterweight fighter Hector Lombard in a grappling match at Quintet Ultra: Grappling Team Survival Match. Lombard now competes as a light heavyweight in Eagle FC. 'Sugar' was submitted in the very first round by the 41-year-old Cuban but showed great courage in competing against someone much bigger than himself.
Watch the submission here:
O'Malley competed in three grappling contests at Quintet Ultra, beating Takanori Gomi and drawing against Gilbert Melendez on the same day. Gomi usually competes at lightweight and Melendez is a featherweight, meaning those contests were much fairer than the Lombard match-up.
