"The higher level guys I fight, the better 'Sugar' you guys are going to get" - Sean O'Malley is looking to showcase his "true MMA skills" against Petr Yan at UFC 280

UFC fan-favorite Sean O’Malley has suggested that he’s yet to show the true extent of his MMA skills inside the octagon. O’Malley, who’s currently the No.13-ranked bantamweight, asserted that he’s incredibly confident that he’ll win his upcoming fight against the No.1-ranked Petr Yan.

O’Malley’s last fight was at UFC 276 on July 2, but it ended in a No Contest after he landed an inadvertent eye poke on his opponent Pedro Munhoz. Regardless, ‘Sugar’ has his sights set on regaining his momentum, as he’s been scheduled to fight former UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan at UFC 280 on October 22.

Speaking to Ariel Helwani on the latest edition of The MMA Hour, 'Sugar' Sean O’Malley promised to create “powerful” and “magical” moments against Petr Yan. Noting that he’s already mentally-prepared for his fight against ‘No Mercy,’ O’Malley stated:

“So, I’m just excited about the opportunity, and I believe I’ll capitalize on the opportunity. And I think the higher level guys I fight, the better ‘Sugar’ you guys are going to get. I’ve not been able to show my true MMA skills inside the octagon. I really did think Pedro was going to be the one to bring it out of me. It wasn’t, obviously. That went how it went. But I think Petr’s the guy to really let us see how good I really am.”

Watch O’Malley discuss the topic at 5:30 in the video below:

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Dan Hardy explains how Sean O’Malley could beat Petr Yan at UFC 280

Widely-revered MMA analyst and former UFC fighter Dan Hardy seemingly believes that Petr Yan will be a tough matchup for Sean O’Malley. In a recent video posted to his Full Reptile YouTube channel, ‘The Outlaw’ referenced Yan’s combat sports accolades and highlighted his ability to be aggressive whilst maintaining good defense.

That said, Dan Hardy opined that Sean O’Malley could trouble Petr Yan at long range. Hardy alluded to the fact that ‘Sugar’ is known for his long-range striking. As per the veteran UK fighter, jumping up to fight the No.1-ranked bantamweight might be a step too far for O’Malley, but he still wouldn’t count the latter out. Hardy said:

"The benefit on O'Malley's side is that he does have an opponent that's going to walk into the fire. So as long as he can keep creating space for himself with angles to keep moving so he doesn't get cramped up against the fence, he might be able to sharp shoot him from a distance.”

Watch Hardy’s assessment below: