It seems that bantamweight contender Sean O’Malley is ready for his return to the octagon.
‘Sugar’ has been out of action since his showdown with Pedro Munhoz in July. At UFC 276, the two bantamweight contenders fought to a no-contest, after the Brazilian was poked in the eye. The result snapped a three-fight winning streak for O’Malley, but he doesn’t view it that way.
The 27-year-old is set to return next month at UFC 280 against Petr Yan. For his part, ‘No Mercy’ is coming off a split-decision loss to champion Aljamain Sterling in April. The Russian is hoping that a victory will propel him to another shot at gold, and the ‘Funk Master’.
Heading into the Abu Dhabi event, Sean O’Malley has a similar goal. The 27-year-old has previously stated that with a big win, he deserves the next shot at gold. Given a decisive victory over Yan, it would be hard to argue that he wouldn’t deserve a title shot next.
The bantamweight showcase next month is seen as the biggest fight of O’Malley’s career to date. With that in mind, the Arizona native is leaving no turn unstoned in his preparation for UFC 280. On Instagram, O’Malley made it clear that he is ready for war.
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The bantamweight star showed his shredded physique alongside training partners Augusto Tanquinho and Bryce Meredith. O’Malley is clearly in the best shape of his career to date, showing that he’s not taking Petr Yan lightly.
As far as the result goes, the bantamweight contender has predicted that the former champion won’t hit him on October 22nd. However, oddsmakers don’t seem to agree. Currently, O’Malley is a heavy underdog to Yan for their showdown next month.
Are you excited for Sean O’Malley’s return? Do you think he’ll defeat Petr Yan at UFC 280? Sound off in the comment section below!