Sean O’Malley discovered some things during his UFC 280 matchup opposite Petr Yan. Those things could change him as a fighter.
After his split decision win over the former UFC bantamweight champion, O’Malley was not the same fighter we had heard and seen in other post-fight interviews. His usual swagger was gone. The brashness we’ve come to expect was absent. The post-fight celebratory jump shot didn’t happen. Instead, Omalley seemed disoriented and a bit unsure of things, which, let’s be honest, should not have been a surprise to anyone who watched that fight.
O’Malley didn’t get knocked down, but Yan hurt him.