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Sean O'Malley will face a massive step-up in the competition. 'Sugar' recently announced that he is fighting Petr Yan at UFC 280 on October 22. The 27-year-old bantamweight was at the UFC 280 press conference and it suffices to say that he wasn't a fan of the atmosphere.
Watch the UFC 280 press conference below:
O'Malley traveled to London for the press conference which also featured Charles Oliveira and Belal Muhammad. All three fighters were on stage with Michael Bisping, who was initially asking questions.
During an episode of the BroMalley Show, O'Malley detailed his experience:
"At the press conference, I was like getting hot flashes. The lights were so bright, dude. I legitimately for a second there was freaking out. Yeah, I thought I was going to pass out. It was so scary dude. It was so scary."
Watch Sean O'Malley talk about the press conference on his show:
O'Malley is taking an unexpected step up in competition after a no-contest against Pedro Munhoz earlier this month at UFC 276. 'Sugar' is the No.13- ranked UFC bantamweight who'll be facing Petr Yan, the foremost contender. Only time will tell if the American can pull off the upset.
Petr Yan opens as betting favorite against Sean O'Malley
Sean O'Malley is usually the betting favorite in his bouts, but the odds of that happening against a former champion are slim. Yan lost the title to Aljamain Sterling in his last fight, and he'll be looking to become a champion once again.
Once the matchup became official, MMA reporter Chamatkar Sandhu posted the opening betting odds:
"The lines have already moved to: Petr Yan -500 (1/5) Sean O’Malley +375 (15/4) (odds via @betonline_ag) #UFC280"
O'Malley would have to defy all odds to come out on top. Some have been critical of his opponents and are waiting for him to take on an elite bantamweight. Regardless of the outcome, it's hard not to respect 'Sugar' for taking on this fight. Yan is one of the scariest bantamweights in the UFC and a former champion.
O'Malley vs. Yan joins a stacked pay-per-view at UFC 280. The main card also features Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev, Aljamain Sterling vs. TJ Dillashaw, and Belal Muhammad vs. Sean Brady.
MMA fans can also check out the below video on Conor McGregor:
