LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 02: Sean O'Malley kicks Pedro Munhoz of Brazil in a bantamweight fight during the UFC 276 event at T-Mobile Arena on July 02, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. UFC president Dana White was speaking to a reporter in early 2020, extolling the virtues of the-then upcomingcard, which was set for March 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The UFC set out to stack the card in Abu Dhabi, so it made the rather surprising move to offer the 12th-ranked O'Malley to the top-ranked Yan. "I think, obviously, having a big name helps, too, but I went to the UFC off of that fight. I said, 'I'm ready to book a fight. Let's go. Let's do this.' Petr Yan was the only guy in the Top 10 without a fight. And that fight came about like that. I'm surprised Petr took it more than I'm surprised the UFC offered it to me.", White likened O'Malley's rise to that of Conor McGregor's.
But he's won a fight night bonus in all seven fights that ended naturally. He's gotten five Performance of the Night bonuses and two Fight of the Night bonuses. Part of the reason he's so popular is his manner of fighting, but he said it's not a conscious decision to fight balls to the wall. It's always been the way he's gone.
If he beats Yan, he'll cement his place as one of the three or four biggest names in the sport, and he'll get the first crack at the winner of the title fight between champion Aljamain Sterling and former champion T.J. Dillashaw that is the co-main event of UFC 280.