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Sean O'Malley is set to face Petr Yan at UFC 280 in what figures to be a tremendous opportunity for the No.11-ranked bantamweight. Not only could a victory land him a title opportunity, UFC President Dana White believes that it could lead O'Malley to superstardom.
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During a recent appearance on My Mom's Basement with Robbie Fox, UFC President Dana White discussed the UFC 280 matchup:
"Petr Yan is the number one ranked guy in the world. O'Malley is 27 years old. He's 15-1, he's got the experience for this fight, he's got the reach and height advantage, he's got knockout power, he's got all the tools to win this fight. He's just got to get out there and do it and it's no easy task. Petr Yan is an absolute savage."
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White went on to compare Sean O'Malley's UFC 280 opportunity to the opportunity presented to Conor McGregor in facing Jose Aldo:
"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."
McGregor faced Aldo for the featherweight championship at UFC 194. Not only did he hand Aldo his first loss in over a decade, he was able to knock out the long-time champion in just 13 seconds.
Watch Dana White compare Sean O'Malley and Conor McGregor below (starting at the 3:57 mark):
Sean O'Malley wants to be the next Conor McGregor
Sean O'Malley hasn't been shy about his desire to become the UFC's biggest star. During a recent appearance on DC & RC, O'Malley shared that he believes a victory at UFC 280 will put him on the trajectory to become the next Conor McGregor:
"People want a superstar. There's really no one in the UFC right now that is that Conor level. I go out there and beat Petr in spectacular fashion, I'm climbing. I'm not gonna be there yet and I know that, but I'm climbing to become that guy. I want to be that guy, I want to be the Conor."
O'Malley added that he wants to reach a level where his place as the UFC's biggest superstar isn't debatable, similar to McGregor's. While reaching the level of 'The Notorious' is a lofty expectation, O'Malley's early career popularity has him trending in the right direction. The No.11-ranked bantamweight labeled the former double champ as his choice for the greatest UFC fighter of all-time, attributing his popularity to the decision.
Watch Sean O'Malley's comments on being the next Conor McGregor below (starting at the 32:57 mark):
