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Sean O'Malley wasn't really surprised that the UFC offered him a high-profile fight against former bantamweight champion Petr Yan.
What was astounding to him was that Yan accepted a fight against an opponent with a much lower ranking. Yan sits in the No.1 spot in the UFC bantamweight rankings after losing his championship rematch to Aljamain Sterling.
Meanwhile, O'Malley is currently ranked No.12 in the division after his underwhelming no-contest bout against Pedro Munhoz at UFC 276. During an interview with Kevin Iole on Yahoo! Sports, O'Malley was asked about his thoughts on the booking. He replied saying:
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"I went to the UFC after the fight and said, 'I'm ready to book a fight. Let's go, let's do this.' Petr Yan was the only guy in the top 10 without a fight booked and when that fight came about like that, I'm surprised Petr took it more than I'm surprised the UFC offered it to me."
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Check out Sean O'Malley's interview below:
'Sugar' wasn't very pleased with the controversy in his most recent outing. He is of the opinion that being given a matchup against Yan is validation that the UFC believed he was about to beat Munhoz before the no-contest ruling.
UFC bantamweight champion thinks Petr Yan could have a "miserable night" against Sean O'Malley
UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling could face Sean O'Malley in a title fight if they each secure a victory in their respective UFC 280 bouts.
O'Malley, who's expected to face the toughest test of his career so far, will head into the bout as a considerable betting underdog. However, Sterling put forth a scenario in which O'Malley could shatter the odds against the former titleholder.
The way 'Funk Master' sees it, Yan's reputation as a slow starter could prove to be troublesome in a three-round contest. During an interview with Submission Radio, the reigning king of the 135-pound division said:
"If he [Petr Yan] starts behind the eight ball like that and gives O’Malley a chance in a three-round fight, an opportunity to run up the score on him, pick his shots, it could be a miserable night for Yan."
Check out Aljamain Sterling's interview below:
