Petr Yan vs. Sean O'Malley Announced For UFC 280

Sean O'Malley announced today, July 20th, on the DC and RC show that he has accepted a bout with Petr Yan. The pair will fight on the UFC 280 card in Abu Dhabi, set for October 22nd.

Sean O'Malley (15-1, 1 NC) has been the talk of the town since debuting in the UFC off of the Contender Series. After going 4-1 in his first five UFC bouts, he rode three straight knockout victories into a UFC 276 clash with top-ranked Pedro Munhoz. After a competitive first round, the fight was stopped following an eye poke, resulting in a No Contest result. "Suga" Sean is currently ranked at #13 in the Bantamweight division.

A fifth-round knockout over Jose Aldo saw Petr Yan (16-3) capture the Bantamweight belt at UFC 251. "No Mercy" dropped the belt via disqualification to Aljamain Sterling and captured the interim belt with a five-round barnburner opposite Cory Sandhagen. He failed in his attempt to reclaim the unified title in his last appearance, losing a decision to Sterling. As of right now, Yan is the #1 contender in the division.

Fights with this much of a ranking disparity are rare, but the bad blood and hype around O'Malley make this a compelling matchup for fans. The Bantamweight belt will be on the line at UFC 280, as Aljamain Sterling faces off with former champion TJ Dillashaw.

UFC 280 is already shaping up for Event of the Year potential, with Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev also booked to fight for the vacant Lightweight title. Sean Brady and Belal Muhammad will battle it out in the Welterweight division with top contender status on the line. Set for Fight Island in Abu Dhabi, fans can expect regional prospects such as Umar Nurmagomedov or Shavkat Rakhmonov to potentially have fights booked. UFC 280 will take place live at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on October 22nd.