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Ricky Turcios provided his take on the hottest topics in the UFC bantamweight division, including Sean O'Malley vs. Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling's title reign.
The winner of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 29 weighed in on O'Malley's split decision victory over Yan at UFC 280. Turcios admitted that he personally scored the bout in favor of Yan, but a second viewing opened his eyes as to why the judges picked O'Malley.
Speaking on the issue with Andrew Whitelaw of Sportskeeda MMA, Turcios said:
"When I was watching it live, I thought Petr Yan won. But after rewatching, I see why they gave to [Sean] O'Malley. When I watched it live that day, I thought Yan had won because he had those extra grappling exchanges. So like if the numbers were close and then he had some extra pressure then he had the extra takedowns, on my scorecard, I gave it to Yan."
Catch our exclusive interview with Ricky Turcios:
The conversation pivoted to Sterling's much-maligned title reign. The legitimacy of 'Funk Master's' championship run has been under scrutiny, with Henry Cejudo being his biggest critic.
But as far as Turcios is concerned, Sterling has done enough to prove his status as a worthy champion. The 29-year-old stated:
"I think he's legit. He really showed it in his most recent fight with Petr Yan when he won the title and that T.J. Dillashaw fight, he just smashed him. I think, for sure, he's got some good matchups coming up in the near future."
Ricky Turcios on whether Sean O'Malley is the next big deal
Ricky Turcios is among those who believe Petr Yan should've beaten Sean O'Malley at UFC 280. But according to Turcios, that doesn't take away from the fact that O'Malley is the next big thing at bantamweight.
Asked if he believes in O'Malley's potential as a top guy, Turcios responded by saying, "Oh for sure... 100 percent."
O'Malley is poised to challenge for the UFC bantamweight title after grabbing the No.1 spot in the division's rankings. However, it may take some time before he gets an opportunity to fight for undisputed gold as Sterling is set to take time off to recover.
Meanwhile, Turcios will return to action at Saturday's UFC Fight Night event. He will take on Kevin Natividad as he hopes to bounce back from his first loss in the octagon.
