LAS VEGAS – It took some convincing to get Dana White on board for Sean O'Malley’s next fight.
O’Malley (15-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) meets former bantamweight champion Petr Yan (16-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi in what arguably will be the biggest test of his career.
But when matchmaker Sean Shelby proposed the O’Malley-Yan fight for Oct. 22, he had to really pitch it to White, who wasn’t immediately sold. The UFC president initially thought it was too soon for “The Suga Show.”
“We were in matchmaking and Sean Shelby actually came up with that fight,” White told MMA Junkie and other reporters post-fight at DWCS 47 on Tuesday. “Sean Shelby wanted that fight. I said, ‘Are you out of your mind? You don’t make that fight now.’ He told me why you make it, and O’Malley’s ready.
“O’Malley’s about to be 28 years old in October, in his absolute prime right now. (He) hits like a truck. He ended up selling me on it. And more importantly, both guys wanted it. And even more importantly than that, when we announced it, everyone went crazy and loves it. And even more important than that, it should be a f*cking really good fight.”
The matchup comes after O’Malley’s most recent fight with Pedro Munhoz at UFC 276 earlier this month was ruled a no contest after an accidental eye poke rendered Munhoz unable to continue at the 3:09 mark of Round 2. Yan will be looking to rebound from a UFC 273 title loss to bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling, who has handed him his only two octagon setbacks.
