While many observers might not have agreed with the official
result, Sean
O’Malley and Petr Yan
undeniably put on a show at
UFC 280.
O’Malley and Yan received “Fight of the Night” and $50,000 for
their spirited bantamweight clash at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on
Saturday. While O’Malley did damage with his rangy standup, Yan
blended striking and takedowns effectively throughout the contest.
Ultimately, “Sugar” Sean emerged with a contentious split-decision
triumph.
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Elsewhere, Islam
Makhachev captured a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus
to go with his newly-claimed championship hardware for a submission
victory against Charles
Oliveira in the evening’s headliner. The Dagestani landed
multiple takedowns before dropping his opponent in Round 2, setting
the stage for an arm-triangle finish at the 3:16 mark of the
period.
Order UFC 280 “Oliveira vs. Makhachev” exclusively
on ESPN+
Finally, Belal
Muhammad secured the card’s other $50,000 “Performance of the
Night” bonus thanks to a statement-making effort against the
previously undefeated Sean Brady
in a preliminary welterweight affair. Muhammad’s pressure and
volume took its toll on his opponent, as “Remember the Name”
swarmed his adversary with punches for a finish at the 4:47 mark of
the second stanza.