Sean O’Malley, the top contender in the UFC bantamweight division, catapulted up the rankings following his UFC 280 split decision win over former champion Petr Yan.
Yan is considered one of the best strikers in the division, and O’Malley was able to hurt “No Mercy” a few times during their fight. Many people were surprised that O’Malley was so successful against Yan, but not O’Malley. “Sugar” considers himself to be the best striker in the world.
“I’m the best striker in the world. I’ve been saying that since the Contenders Series when I wasn’t really,” O’Malley said during an appearance on IMPAULSIVE. “Petr Yan is a master of boxing. Everybody in the UFC – There’s videos you can go look up, like who’s the best boxer in the UFC? Like Dustin Poirier, guys like, high-level guys will say Petr Yan is the best. Dude, I made him wrestle. He took like 15 shots against me because I was piecing him up, so I’m the best boxer in the UFC.”
“I think I’m just realizing my potential now at this point,” O’Malley continued. “I’m like, ‘I can become the next Anderson Silva.’ Like, I can be looked at as one of the greatest fighters of all time. That’s definitely what still drives me. I just turned 28, so I feel like I got a solid like 10 years left.”
O’Malley is expected to face champion Aljamain Sterling in 2023.
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Sean O’Malley: ‘I’m the best striker in the world’
