Sean O’Malley eyes bantamweight title shot following win over Petr Yan; ‘People want me to be champ’
Sean O’Malley scored the biggest win of his career at UFC 280, though it wasn’t without a fair amount of controversy.
On Saturday, O’Malley stepped inside the Octagon with No. 1 ranked bantamweight Petr Yan. Going into the bout as a +320 underdog, ‘Sugar’ delivered in a brutal back-and-forth war, earning a split decision in the process. However, a majority of fans watching and submitting their own scores under the popular app Verdict saw it as a clear win for Yan. Even Sean O’Malley appeared to be somewhat surprised when his name was called by Octagon announcer Bruce Buffer.
Following the event, Sean O’Malley sat down with the media at the UFC 280 post-fight press conference. When asked how he felt about the decision, O’Malley says he will need to rewatch the fight before he can comment on the decision levied by the judges.
“It’s kind of a blur to be honest. He caught me with some good shots. Petr’s a tough dude. A tough Russian right there so I’d like to really watch it back before I can, you know, dissect it.”
Is Sean O’Malley Next Up For a Bantamweight Title Opportunity?
Given the nature of his win at UFC 280, Sean O’Malley may not necessarily be the clear No. 1 contender to reigning champion Aljamain Sterling‘s title. Asked if he believes a world title shot is next, O’Malley was uncertain but believes that sooner or later, he will become a UFC champion.
“Like Dana says, it’s hard to make fights that night, right after. Or the day of. I’m sore. I have a headache. I’m tired. I don’t want to fight anyone. I want to go home, see my princess. You know, it’s inevitable. I turn 28 tomorrow. I’m gonna be in this sport for a long time. People want me to be champ so, it’s gonna happen sooner than later.”
If Sean O’Malley is the next man up, he’ll face an even bigger task against Aljamain Sterling who made quick work of TJ Dillashaw at UFC 280, putting away the former two-time champion in the second round. It was another solid performance for ‘Funk Master’ who extended his win streak to eight on Saturday.
