Does Sean O’Malley deserve the title shot after questionable win over Petr Yan?

Sean O’Malley won his UFC 280 showdown with Petr Yan via a controversial split decision.

Petr Yan vs. Sean O’Malley was one of those controversial decisions that split the MMA community like the Red Sea. Many felt that the score was 1-1 going into the third round and Yan won the third. But as it turns out, it was the first and second rounds that the judges gave to O’Malley, immediately drawing outcry from fans.

While O’Malley’s striking was effective as usual, it is incredibly hard to deny how Yan imposed his will more during those 15 minutes. O’Malley’s length definitely played to his advantage at some points, but Yan controlled the majority of the fight and did more than enough to win … but not according to two out of the three judges.

One judge gave it 29-28 to Yan, while the other two gave the same scores in favor of O’Malley, to the dismay of many. The look of relief and disbelief on O’Malley’s face upon hearing the decision was blatantly obvious. The celebrations from fans in colorful wigs went on as the O’Malley looked defeated after being crowned the victor. Everything from his body language to the tone of his voice showed that he knew he should have lost.

After his victory on Saturday, O’Malley is expected to challenge Aljamain Sterling for the bantamweight title

A win is a win.

Whether you agree with the decision or not, O’Malley beat the No. 1 contender. Heading into the fight O’Malley was No. 11 in the weight class and now he is next in line to fight Aljamain Sterling for the title.

While the stars have somehow aligned in his favor, a performance like that does not prove O’Malley deserving of a title shot despite the result. Take a look at the division and fighters like Merab Dvalishvili and Marlon Vera who are coming off dominant wins and ranked No. 3 and No. 5 respectively before Saturday. These fighters have worked their way up and both deserve a shot. It is unfortunate that O’Malley got a fast track to a fight with the No. 1 contender after a no-contest, and will compete for the belt after a highly questionable win. While the UFC is no stranger to bad decisions, this case is different because of how much it changes the landscape of the division.

To be fair, O’Malley did prove that he belongs to the elite. A lot have questioned his ability and how he would do against top opposition and he gave a clear answer. It is not all hype, he can compete with the best. That does not justify getting a shortcut to a No. 1 contender fight but this is the UFC we are talking about. A young star going from No. 11 to UFC champion in two fights has dollar signs written all over it. O’Malley has the appearance, the personality, and the skills that could make him the organization’s next cash cow, so of course, they are betting the house on him.

If you just look at the result, you would think he’s deserving. But if you watch the fight closely, think about it objectively then you’ll see; he was losing and the judges gave him an escape route toward a rude awakening in the hands of Sterling. The O’Malley hype train is at an all-time high and going full speed, but it will probably be derailed at the next stop.