Former UFC men’s bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw is seeking to regain his crown this October against Aljamain Sterling, but on that same UFC 280 card there’s another important showdown at 135 lbs between former champ Petr Yan and rising star Sean O’Malley.
From a rankings standpoint, it’s a massive leap into the deep end of the pool for the No. 13 ranked O’Malley, who’s taking on the top-ranked contender in a crowded division of elite fighters. This was a booking that even caught UFC president Dana White off-guard when presented to him by Sean Shelby. Dillashaw shared White’s reaction in an interview with MMA Junkie.