A shakeup in the UFC bantamweight division occurred recently with a fight between leading contender Petr Yan and Suga Sean O Malley saw Sean take the top spot with an incredibly bloody fight that ended in a split decision.
That split decision came with no small amount of controversy, and people immediately took to social media to debate the scoring. Let’s look at the match, the ensuing controversy, and how Suga Sean celebrated proving the haters wrong.
Sean O Malley Record
Suga Sean’s defeat of Petr Yan marks an impressive 16-1-0 record (ESPN Data, but we know the real record is 17-0) for Sean O Malley, but the win didn’t come without a lot of blood and just as much controversy. The background of the match is that Sean O Malley was ranked 11th in his division, and was given a main card fight for UFC 280. This match would be against the then-current bantamweight leader, Petr Yan, held at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
The meat of the controversy comes from the split decision handed down by the three judges. With a score breakdown of 29-28, 29-28, and 28-29, the biggest conflicts were about the third and final round winner. The first and second rounds were pretty straightforward examples of each fighter testing the range and abilities of their opponent. Let's look at the fight round by round.
O Malley vs Yan Breakdown
Another big factor that fuels the controversy's fire is that while Yan contributed takedowns, O Malley won the final round. While it may seem Yan was wearing down O Malley in preparation for a KO, the scoring criteria for UFC matches are laid out. In the end, the damage is king. No matter how skilled the fighters or how efficient the takedowns are, the damage is what is prioritized during scoring.
Round 1
The fight started with O Malley testing his range and getting a feel for Yan’s responses. Circling and sending kicks to the body and legs, O Malley maintains control over contact, even with Yan landing a few hits sporadically. With only 2:30 left Yan tries for a takedown that is shrugged off in less than 30 seconds.
Another grapple ends with O Malley getting dumped, but no scoring strikes or damage. Yan gets in a solid leg strike before getting drowned out by O Malley’s action again. Seconds before the end of the round, O Malley tries a takedown of his own, to little effect.
One of the big takeaways from the first round is that while Yan’s strikes were more functionally impactful, O Malley was more productive overall. Not only does O Malley land more confirmed strikes, but those strikes do more damage. O Malley was using his reach expertly, not letting the smaller Yan get too close.
Round 2
Round 2 started off with some immediate heavy action, with Yan coming out of the gates hot, putting pressure on O Malley and putting a kick right on target for the midsection. O Malley answered with an absolutely surgical left hand that visibly shook Yan, and capitalized on that with increased pressure. Yan doubled down, and his smaller, harder frame gave him the resilience to avoid much damage.
Just over 30 seconds in, Yan delivers his own left that rocks O Malley hard. This gave Yan the chance for another takedown, this one far more productive, with several punches delivered from on high. O Malley took longer to recover from that action, but was kept on the cage by Yan. Round 2 was undoubtedly, irrevocably, Yan’s round.
Round 3
The final round saw O Malley get back to what worked early in the fight, leveraging his reach and maneuverability. Yan went for another takedown attempt half a minute in, but couldn’t close the deal. Almost two minutes in, O Malley fought off another takedown attempt, issued a solid knee, and landed a face strike, opening Yan’s brow.
With both fighters showing their fatigue at this point, another Yan-brand takedown is foiled by a wide head kick from O Malley. Less than 90 seconds in the match finds both fighters dishing out punches, each occasionally landing solid hits, and eventually going to ground when the match concluded. This match was the most controversial, with the dissenting judge having only one point deciding winner over loser, and in the end, O Malley was simply more productive.
Final Thoughts
While nobody can deny that this match was one of the closest in recent history, it comes down to the fact that an immensely-skilled “underdog” was given a shot to prove himself, and his win upset some people. Suga Sean took his shot, dished out some massive damage to Yan, and pulled himself up to the #1 spot in his division. King Palm is proud to be the choice of the #1 bantamweight fighter as he takes his place on his throne, and enjoys one of our signature pre-rolled joint cones.
O Malley’s Thoughts On The Fight & Controversy
Shortly after the match, O Malley said he hadn’t had a chance to watch a replay of the action yet, but felt that the match was incredibly close from his impressions. Upon watching the fight later he said that he definitely won the match and deserves a chance at a title shot, which would see him fight Aljamain Sterling for the championship belt for the 135-pound bantamweight division.
Suga Punch Flavored Blunt Tips With Hand Rolled Natural Leaf Blunt Cones
The King Palm collaboration with Suga Sean O Malley has resulted in the newest knockout flavor, Suga Punch. It combines a one-of-a-kind fusion of juicy oranges with pure, fresh honey. The squeeze & pop Suga Punch flavored blunt tip provides an additional rush of flavor from all-natural essential oils and terpenes.
These flavored, natural leaf blunt cones are a favorite of Sean O Malley, and there’s no question why one of the first things he did after his historic win was to pack a King Palm cone and fire it up. The flavor is as unique as Sean’s style, and with Suga Sean being a fan of King Palm joint cones since at least 2020, you know our flavor and burn profile can’t be beaten.
