MMA superstar Sean O’Malley said he would be happy to win a “robbery” decision against Petr Yan when the two rematch.
Now that UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan successfully defended his belt against Merab Dvalishvili in their trilogy bout at UFC 333, the next man in line for his belt is likely O’Malley, who holds a previous win over Yan and who is coming off a decision win over Song Yadong earlier this year.
If O’Malley does end up getting the rematch, he’ll be happy to win the fight any way he can, including by a “robbery” decision, which is the way many fans thought he beat Yan the first time.
Sean O’Malley Would Be Fine With ‘Robbery’ Decision Win Against Petr Yan
Speaking on the “Believe You Me” podcast, O’Malley said that he would be fine with a “robbery” decision against Yan in their rematch.
“The first round with me and Petr was close. Round 2, he won. Round 3, I won. Round 1 was the kind of toss up in the air. Against Merab the first time I fought him, believe it or not, I won Round 3 and 5 on the judges’ scorecards. Round 1 was the close round. Personally, humbly, unbiasedly, I believe I won that first round against Merab in the first fight. But second and fourth round, he dominated. People are like, ‘What the (expletive)? That fight wasn’t even close.’ It was. The third and fifth round I won on the scorecard. Round 1 was a close round. But for me, I’ve got to make sure I win that Round 1, too. Me vs. Song Yadong, Round 2, people say he won. Round 3, people say I won. Round 1 was that close round. So for me, I’ve got to make sure I win that first round and then the second round, and then I’ve got to make sure I win the third round, and the fourth round, and the fifth round. I’m going to try to win them all, but I’ll take a KO, I’ll take a decision, I’ll take a robbery. Give me however I can get it, let me get it,” O’Malley said (via MMAjunkie.com).
Will Sean O’Malley Get the Rematch?
Although Song is a great fighter and deserves a title shot against Yan, the fact that O’Malley holds a previous win against both men means that he really should be next in line for the belt.
If O’Malley does get the title shot he believes he deserves, he says he will be ready for the “savage” that is Yan.
“Petr Yan is a savage. I’ve known he’s a savage. I’ve always looked at Petr as one of the most scary guys in the division. When I look at like the most difficult guy in the division, for me, it’s Merab. Merab is the most difficult. The most scary guy in the division is Petr Yan. He’s a little terminator, and it’s one of those fights that gets me – we’ve got to (expletive) lock in. I’ve been locked in since the White House card. I’ve known Petr Yan is a potential matchup. I knew him vs. Merab was next. It was a matter of whenever that happens, it’s going to happen. So I’m locked in. I’m not in training camp by any means. I’m 162 (pounds), eating good, but we’re locked in. We’re dialed in, and that’s what it takes to beat a guy like Petr,” O’Malley said.
Sean O’Malley Would be Happy to Win ‘Robbery’ Against Petr Yan