Former bantamweight champion Petr Yan stepped inside the octagon to take on Sean O’Malley in a three-round bout on the main card of UFC 280: Oliveira vs Makhachev. It is needless to say that Yan was looking to bounce back in this matchup after his recent loss to Aljamain Sterling in a title rematch.
On the other hand, O’Malley who is #11 in the bantamweight division has a great opportunity to secure a title shot if he manages to beat Petr Yan. Fight fans who were in attendance at the Etihad Arena were expecting a highly entertaining fight and it was exactly as anticipated.
Petr Yan targeted O’Malley with leg kicks in the first round. Meanwhile, Suga Sean landed some shots with the help of his superior reach. However, the Russian bantamweight landed a beautiful takedown to control the round.
Yan/O’Malley Scorecards#UFC280 pic.twitter.com/gxvIeoGU4O
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) October 22, 2022
In the second round, Sean O’Malley landed a powerful straight left to stun Yan and it looked like the American bantamweight would get an advantage. But Petr Yan recovered quickly and hit him with a big shot to drop O’Malley. Thereafter the former champion dominated the rest of the round by landing several takedowns.
YAN CRACKS SEAN O’MALLEY BACK #UFC280 pic.twitter.com/qakj0rWoI8
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) October 22, 2022
After losing the second round, O’Malley made a tremendous comeback as he cut open Petr Yan with a flying knee. Suga Sean capitalised on the momentum and attacked Yan with jabs and leg kicks. Although Petr Yan landed a takedown and hit O’Malley with some good counters.
AFTER A WILD FIGHT, SEAN O’MALLEY DEFEATS PETR YAN BY SPLIT DECISION 😮 #UFC280 pic.twitter.com/Hm08QAY83W
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 22, 2022
In the end, both the bantamweights were unable to finish each other and the fight went to the distance. One judge scored the contest 29-28 in favour of Yan and two judges scored the bout 29-28 to O’Malley and the American bantamweight won this fight via split decision.
Was Petr Yan robbed of a win against Sean O’Malley at UFC 280?
The Petr Yan vs Sean O’Malley matchup at UFC 280 was a highly competitive fight filled with violence throughout the three rounds. However, the fight could have gone either way as both the bantamweights had their moments where they dominated the bout.
Petr Yan vs. Sean O’Malley highlights #UFC280 pic.twitter.com/KWWgqzZmtd
— Takedown Defense (@ChillemThreebo) October 22, 2022
But judging by the stats, Petr Yan should have won the fight as he landed six takedowns and had a control time of nearly five minutes. O’Malley had an advantage when it came to the striking department as he landed 84 significant strikes whereas Yan managed to land 58 significant strikes.
Official stats for O’Malley’s win over Yan. pic.twitter.com/IW8jCZpfLR
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) October 22, 2022
Moreover, the former UFC champion controlled Sean O’Malley in the first and second rounds of the fight and even stunned the American bantamweight several times. In the end, it is needless to say that this was a highly controversial decision as Yan had the edge.
Do let us know in the comments section who you think won this matchup between Petr Yan and Sean O’Malley
