Anthony Smith believes Cory Sandhagen and Marlon Vera are tougher matchups for Sean O'Malley than Petr Yan

UFC light heavyweight contender Anthony Smith believes that Sean O'Malley's upcoming UFC 280 bout with Petr Yan is a better matchup for him than if he were to face Cory Sandhagen or Marlon 'Chito' Vera.

Both fighters and fans were shocked when the UFC announced that the No.12-ranked bantamweight Sean O'Malley would face the No.1-ranked Petr Yan. 'Sugar' is considered one of the UFC's hottest prospects and was being carefully pushed by the UFC until the fight's announcement.

While Yan poses a serious threat as he's a former champion, some consider the situation a win-win for O'Malley. If the 27-year-old loses, it could be because he was facing a much higher ranked opponent. However, if he wins, he's immediately in title contention.

During the latest episode of the Believe You Me podcast, 'Lionheart' shared that he considers 'No Mercy' a more favorable matchup for O'Malley because fighters such as Cory Sandhagen and 'Chito' Vera aren't afraid to go to the mat and fight ugly. Smith said:

"It's such a weird deal though because Yan is one of the more better match up for him in the division, stylistically. I don't want to say it favours him, but it's a definitely a winnable fight... A guy like Sandhagen, that's a really tough fight for Sean O'Malley. 'Chito' Vera is always going to be a tough fight for O'Malley. I think some of the tougher match-ups for him are ranked below Petr Yan."

Catch the full podcast episode here:

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Sean O'Malley reveals DM's sent to him from Petr Yan

On the latest episode of Sean O'Malley's podcast, Bromalley, the bantamweight prospect revealed personal messages that Petr Yan has been sending him ahead of their UFC 280 bout.

'No Mercy' is heading into his fight with O'Malley under the conviction that he will earn himself yet another shot at the bantamweight title. Yan originally lost his belt to Aljamain Sterling due to an illegal knee but failed to capture the title in their rematch earlier this year.

For O'Malley, the 27-year-old appears as confident and relaxed as ever heading into the biggest fight of his career. So much so that 'Sugar' even shared with fans the messages that he and Yan had been sending each other before they step into the octagon.

"Petr Yan, he messaged me. Let's see what little Petr said... So I posted my countdown that I post every once in a while, every four days, and he said, 'You are sleeping 'Sugar', I'll wake you up.' I said, 'How are those ladyboys over there in Thailand, they're more suitable for your image, buddy... I talked to Dana, he said we can weigh in at 145.' He said, 'Don't be afraid. Most importantly, be there.'"

Watch the full episode here: