The man known as “The Suga Show” pulled out a gritty, gutty and bloody split decision over Yan, the former champion in a Fight of the Night type of battle.
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At UFC 280, Sean O'Malley took what many called a "big step up" – and he controversially walked away the winner against Petr Yan.
Lina Lansberg via majority decision (29-27, 29-27, 28-28)](“https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/lists/ufc-280-abu-dhabi-charles-oliveira-islam-makhachev-sterling-dillashaw-play-by-play-live-results”) AJ Dobson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)](“https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/lists/ufc-280-abu-dhabi-charles-oliveira-islam-makhachev-sterling-dillashaw-play-by-play-live-results”) [Muhammad Mokaev def. Gadzhi Omargadzhiev via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)](“https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/lists/ufc-280-abu-dhabi-charles-oliveira-islam-makhachev-sterling-dillashaw-play-by-play-live-results”) [Armen Petrosyan def. Makhmud Muradov via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)](“https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/lists/ufc-280-abu-dhabi-charles-oliveira-islam-makhachev-sterling-dillashaw-play-by-play-live-results”) [Nikita Krylov def. Volkan Oezdemir via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)](“https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/lists/ufc-280-abu-dhabi-charles-oliveira-islam-makhachev-sterling-dillashaw-play-by-play-live-results”) [Abubakar Nurmagomedov def. Katlyn Chookagian via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)](“https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2022/10/ufc-280-results-katlyn-chookagian-vs-manon-fiorot-decision”) [Belal Muhammad def. Mateusz Gamrot via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)](“https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2022/10/ufc-280-abu-dhabi-results-beneil-dariush-defends-mateusz-gamrot-grappling-decision-win”) [Manon Fiorot def. Malcolm Gordon via submission (armbar) – Round 3, 4:26](“https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2022/10/ufc-280-video-muhammad-mokaev-tested-pulls-off-late-armbar-against-malcolm-gordon”) [Karol Rosa def. Sean Brady via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:47](“https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2022/10/ufc-280-results-belal-muhammad-vs-sean-brady-tko-video”) [Caio Borralho def. Outside of a loss to Marlon Vera by TKO that stemmed from an injury in 2020, O’Malley remains unbeaten. In Round 2, O’Malley stunned Yan with a combination and pounced. Yan took O’Malley down, but eventually O’Malley found his way back up.
The main and co-main events see UFC gold on the line. The main event features Charles Oliveira taking on Islam Makhachev for the vacant UFC lightweight title he ...
Things heated up again in the third when O’Malley rocked Yan again. Yan spent some time on top, but O’Malley was able to scramble back to his feet. Yan went back to his wrestling, picking up a double leg to plant O’Malley on his back. O’Malley stood back up, but there wasn’t much time left on the clock. If O’Malley wins, though, we may see ‘Suga’ fighting a belt in the near future. The main and co-main events see UFC gold on the line.
'Suga' battled his toughest test to date in a slugfest with the former champion.
I don't know," O'Malley said. But the former champion, who worked a steady diet of calf and body kicks throughout, then responded to being stunned by a left cross in Round 2 by winding up for a left-hand haymaker of his own seconds later to rock O'Malley. "I was a little surprised [Yan chose to wrestle]," O'Malley said. But I was rocked." The post-fight statistics largely fell in O'Malley's favor after outlanding Yan 85 to 76 in total strikes and 69 to 51 in significant strikes. 1 guy in the world."
Check out the official scorecard from the UFC 280 bantamweight contenders' clash between Sean O'Malley and Petr Yan.
This was O’Malley’s first time going to a decision since his second UFC fight back in March 2018. The bantamweight contenders battered and bloodied each other for three rounds in a fight that featured thrilling exchanges on the feet and Yan testing O’Malley’s wrestling and grappling defense. In the end, two of the judges awarded a split decision to O’Malley with a pair of 29-28 scores.