"How is it possible, brother" - When Sean O'Malley's split decision title shot-earner over Petr Yan left Khabib Nurmagomedov baffled 

Sean O'Malley silenced doubters with a dominant performance against Marlon Vera at UFC 299, successfully defending his bantamweight title. This victory marks a significant turnaround for O'Malley, who previously lost to Vera in 2020.

However, his path to the belt was met with controversy, particularly his split-decision victory against Petr Yan at UFC 280.

A video circulating online shows Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov expressing his disbelief at the judges' decision:

"How? No. How is it possible, brother?" Nurmagomedov questioned. "I swear I gave him [Yan] every round! It was close, but he won every round, brother."

Check out Khabib Nurmagomedov's reaction below:

O'Malley's win over Yan was a close and technical fight, but the split decision left many divided. While O'Malley displayed effective footwork and elusiveness, Yan showcased his powerful striking and pressure.

The controversial outcome ultimately propelled O'Malley to a title shot, which he has now successfully defended.

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Sean O'Malley targets featherweight champion Ilia Topuria for super fight in Spain; Merab Dvalishvili responds

Sean O'Malley wasted no time setting his sights on his next challenge after a dominant victory over Marlon Vera at UFC 299. In a surprising turn, O'Malley bypassed Merab Dvalishvili, the number one contender in his division, and set his sights on a super fight against the UFC featherweight champion, Ilia Topuria.

Following his win, O'Malley called out Topuria during the post-fight talk with Daniel Cormier, requesting UFC president Dana White to arrange a fight in Spain, Topuria's home country:

“Dana! Gimme a jet to Spain, baby! I’m coming for Ilia Topuria! And if he doesn’t want it ... nah, f*ck it, I want Ilia, baby, give me Ilia. He’s a scary f*cking dude, he excites me. Going up a weight class excites me. Honestly, I’m here for whatever. If you guys want me to knock out Merab, I’ll do that too, but Ilia is an exciting fight for the people.”

Check out Sean O'Malley's callout below:

However, this didn't sit well with Dvalishvili, who responded from the stands:

“What a piece of sh*t, Now I’m so mad, I’m so pi**ed off. I’m so pi**ed he don’t call me out! C’mon bro, I’m number one contender — fight me bro! If you’re good then show the world. But you are a scared little skinny guy. You wanna call somebody who’s not gonna fight you.”

Check out Dvalishvili's reaction below: