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Following Sean O'Malley's controversial win over Petr Yan, Michael Bisping has stated that damage is the main criterion that UFC judges look for.
'Sugar' and 'No Mercy' earned the Fight of the Night bonus for their three-round war at UFC 280. O'Malley and Yan went the distance, with the former having his hand raised via split decision. Both fighters had their moments in every round. However, Yan was deeply cut on the side of his forehead by a huge knee from O'Malley in the third.
The result was contentious, as many fans believed Yan's takedowns should have secured the victory. Others were confident that O'Malley's lead on significant strikes and the late damage to Yan was enough for the win.
Michael Bisping believes it was a close fight but certainly not a robbery. 'The Count' stated that he could see why the judges went with O'Malley because of the damage to Yan's face:
"That was a close fight. A very, very close fight. I thought Sugar Sean won the first round because Yan is a slow starter... I do recall at the end of the fight that I thought Petr Yan won, but I don't think it was a robbery. It was a very close fight. The number one criteria in judging a fight is damage. I think if you looked at Yan, he had absorbed the most damage."
Catch Bisping's UFC 280 breakdown here:
Alexander Volkanovski gives his verdict on Sean O'Malley vs. Petr Yan
UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski was cageside at UFC 280 and saw the stacked card unfold. The Australian, who was later confirmed as the next challenger for the lightweight title, weighed in on the controversial Sean O'Malley victory.
Two of the three judges scored the first and third rounds for 'Sugar', while all three gave the second to Petr Yan. O'Malley's split-decision victory (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) was the biggest of his career and has all but guaranteed him a shot at the title.
Volkanovski stated that he initially thought 'No Mercy' had done enough for the victory but, similar to Michael Bisping, believes calling it a robbery isn't fair. 'The Great' praised the pair for putting on a fun fight and is confident that Sean O'Malley is next in line for the 135-pound belt:
"It was a great fight. It was a very competitive fight. Who do I think won? I thought Petr Yan won... I thought maybe Petr Yan did enough, but two of the judges say different. Is it a complete robbery? I don't know. It was a close fight. You know, they're both obviously hurting each other. Very close fight, very fun fight. Is Sean O'Malley next for the title fight? I think that's what they wanted."
Catch Volkanovski's UFC 280 reaction here:
