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Sean O'Malley and Petr Yan are set to face off at UFC 280 in a highly anticipated three-round bantamweight bout. Former UFC contender and current mixed martial arts analyst Chael Sonnen shared what he believes will determine the outcome of the upcoming fight.
Speaking on his podcast Beyond the Fight, Sonnen shared that O'Malley must win the first round:
"Sean O'Malley had better win the first round. Oh, and by the way, he should be able to. If he truly understands the sport, which is I touch you and you don't touch me and he goes out and he puts that pressure on Yan, it can be very problematic for Yan and I don't think that Yan would dispute that."
Sonnen added:
"Sugar Sean, I believe, has the skills to win all three rounds... He's going to have to do multiple things. Sugar Sean isn't just going to have to go out and out kickbox Yan. He's going to have to anti-wrestle Yan. Yan can get you to the ground and Yan can do good work when he gets there... if Sugar Sean's going to win this fight, he's going to have to win it in the stand up."
Yan is a notably slow starter, which could work in O'Malley's favor in a three-round fight. However if Yan gets off to a strong start, Sonnen believes it could spell trouble for the No.12-ranked bantamweight. Although he picked O'Malley to win the fight, Sonnen added that in order to do so, he must win the first minute of the round.
Watch Chael Sonnen discuss Sean O'Malley and Petr Yan below (starting at the 3:52 mark):
Dana White likens Sean O'Malley's opportunity to Conor McGregor's at UFC 194
Sean O'Malley has shared his desire to follow in Conor McGregor's footsteps and become the UFC's next global superstar. When asked about O'Malley's opportunity against Petr Yan at UFC 280, UFC President Dana White likened it to the opportunity presented to McGregor against Jose Aldo at UFC 194.
During a recent appearance on My Mom's Basement with Robbie Fox, White stated:
"There was this comparison recently where Sean O'Malley said 'I would love to be the next Conor McGregor and be a big global superstar.' Well, it's about winning key fights. He's already got that thing that people like about him, now it's about winning key fights. This fight for him is like Conor's Jose Aldo fight."
O'Malley doesn't have the opportunity to become a champion, as McGregor did at UFC 194. He will, however, fight the No.1-ranked bantamweight on one of the most anticipated cards of the year. A dominant performance could help him continue to rise towards superstardom.
Watch Dana White compare Sean O'Malley and Conor McGregor below (starting at the 4:24 mark):
