UFC bantamweight superstar Sean O'Malley is all set to face what many consider to be his biggest test thus far. 'Sugar' is scheduled to fight former UFC bantamweight champion, Petr Yan, in a highly-anticipated matchup at UFC 280 on October 22nd.
Speaking of which, in a video posted to his YouTube channel, Sean O'Malley showcased footage from some of his grueling training sessions. Addressing the same, O'Malley's coach Tim Welch stated:
"Four weeks out from the fight, today's training session was perfect. We did eight five-minute rounds, just sprints, having the guys f**king attack him full pace. So, that fight with Petr is gonna be an uncomfortable fight. Petr is not gonna be scared to come forward and get after him. So, we're preparing 'Sugar' for that -- preparing him mentally and physically to be ready for a 15-minute sprint."
Watch Welch discuss O'Malley's preparations at 3:40 in the video below:
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Some fans seemed thoroughly impressed by 'Sugar.' While one fan commented that his hard work would pay off, another fan acknowledged how dangerous the Russian fighter is but still sided with O'Malley. Meanwhile, others backed O'Malley to shock the world by beating Yan and eventually capturing the UFC bantamweight title. One fan wrote:
"I’ve been a Sean and Izzy fan from day one and I never wavered not one bit. Never witnessed such crisp clean striking it’s insane."
Sean O'Malley's detractors, too, weighed in on his training footage. One fan claimed that Yan would break O'Malley's jaw, whereas another indicated that O'Malley is too brittle to beat 'No Mercy.'
Some went as far as insinuating that Yan would expose O'Malley as a fraud and that 'Sugar' was perhaps nervous about the fight. One fan warned:
"Yan is going to destroy him."
Sean O'Malley reveals the difference in his preparations for his UFC 280 fight with Petr Yan
Sean O'Malley recently asserted that he's roped in top-notch sparring partners to mimic Petr Yan. O'Malley also confirmed that he'll be leaving the U.S. early to fly to Dubai, U.A.E. and train there for the Yan showdown that'll transpire in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.
Also reiterating how he's taken his preparations to the next level, 'Sugar' revealed that he's been watching more tape than he ever has in the past. In a recent episode of The Timbo Sugar Show podcast, Sean O'Malley stated:
"For this, for Petr, I've watched more. And this hasn't been a ton, but like a little bit of the sh** you sent me. I've watched more on Petr than I have for previous opponents."
Watch O'Malley's assessment at 29:25 in the video below: