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Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker has weighed in on the upcoming bantamweight scrap between rising contender Sean O'Malley and former champion Petr Yan at UFC 280.
In a video posted by journalist James Lynch, Whittaker can be seen breaking down the matchup. 'The Reaper' said it was difficult for him to pick a winner as the two bantamweights appeared to be on a smiliar level in terms of fighting skills:
"This is hard to say because I think O'Malley's got some of the best striking in the game. He's so effective and accurate and confident in what he does that he's so dangerous for anyone... [Petr Yan] is sucha solidly put-together fighter, well-rounded and he just lasts and he can out-damage and he can win wars of attrition and the way he mixes it up is just next level as well. He's got a great fight IQ... Yeah, honestly, I'm on the fence with this fight... I don't think either one of them has a significant advantage over the other."
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The video also featured several other UFC fighters making their picks for Petr Yan vs. Sean O'Malley.
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Sean Brady, Brandon Royval and Randy Costa picked 'Sugar' to emerge victorious come fight night, while Darian Weeks and Gillian Robertson sided with the Russian.
You can watch the full video below:
Sean O'Malley discusses his preparation for the upcoming fight with Petr Yan
In a recent episode of 'TimboSugarShow', Sean O'Malley spoke about the changes he has made in his preparation for Petr Yan. 'Sugar' said that he watched a lot more video footage of 'No Mercy' than he did for any previous opponent:
"I've never watched tape. I've watched a little bit. Like, when I fought Pedro [Munhoz], I watched a little bit of the 'Dom' [Dominick Cruz vs. Pedro Munhoz] fight. I watched a little bit -- But 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."
Sean O'Malley is facing a huge jump in competition in his upcoming matchup at UFC 280. If the 27-year-old manages to get Yan, he could very well be next in line for a title shot.
