One of the biggest UFC events of this year is around the corner. The UFC 280 will take place on Saturday, 22nd October, inside the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. An intriguing lightweight title fight between Islam Makhachev vs. Charles Oliveira headlines the event.
Apart from the main event, the fight card of UFC 280 reflects many amazing bouts of the year. One of which is the bantamweight clash between former champion Petr Yan and number 11 ranked Sean O’Malley.
In order to determine a possible conclusion of this intriguing bantamweight match, let’s examine the careers, strengths, and weaknesses of both combatants.
Petr Yan and Sean O’Malley- Stats comparison
With a 16-3 record (seven knockouts and one submission) in MMA, ‘No Mercy’ is unquestionably a more experienced fighter than ‘Suga,’ who has a 15-1 record (eleven knockouts and one submission).
The Montanan, who is 5’11” tall with a 72″ reach, has a technical height and reach advantage over the Russian fighter of four and five inches, respectively. Petr Yan, meanwhile, has a reach of 67″ and is 5’7″ tall.
Coming to the fight, O’Malley has a higher knockout percentage (73% of his fights result in knockouts), despite the fact that both bantamweight fighters have fought in the same number of UFC fights (10).
In contrast, “No Mercy” has only finished four opponents in the UFC and has a knockout percentage of 44%. But it’s important to remember that Yan has faced four of the best bantamweight contenders over the course of four years. Meanwhile, ‘Suga’ has yet to put his abilities to the test against a top-tier bantamweight competitor.
Analysis and Prediction
Having said that, considering the fighters’ striking prowess, the bout seems to be a standing contest. However, if they go to the mat, the Russian appears to have the advantage, as Sean O’Malley has rarely grappled with his opponents.
So, in order to prevail over a former champion, ‘Suga’ will need to play it on the foot and seize the opportunity. Meanwhile, Yan’s explosiveness, as seen against Jose Aldo and Cory Sandhagen, can’t be ruled out here. He can take advantage of O’Malley’s one slip-up and shut the lights early. Also, if the combat continues at a distance, ‘No Mercy’ will be in the lead.
What are your predictions for this bantamweight fight?
