Petr Yan enters Saturday’s bout at UFC280 against Sean O’Malley having lost two of his last three. But all hope is not lost for his championship pursuit, JustinBarrasso writes
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Instead of winning by unanimous decision and removing Sterling from the title equation, the two engaged in a rematch this past April. That was a title unification bout–Yan had defeated Cory Sandhagen for the interim title–and Sterling won that fight, removing Yan, at least temporarily, from the championship.
Yan enters the bout against O’Malley having lost two of his last three. But all hope is not lost for his championship pursuit following UFC President Dana White’s announcement that the winner of this bout will be the next challenger for the title. That opens a clear path for Yan to regain his place as the top bantamweight in the world.
O’Malley is a dangerous kickboxer, especially against a shorter opponent. Yet he is sorely unproven against the caliber of someone of Yan’s stature. If this fight moves to the ground, O’Malley will be in a dire position.“I’m ready for him. This will be an early finish.”Thomas Shea/USA TODAY SportsWill that finally happen before the end of the year?
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