Fallout from UFC 280 continues as Yan considers quitting

The fallout from one of the most egregious scoring decisions in UFC history continues as Petr Yan is reportedly considering his options and may leave the organisation.

Yan was disgusted with a decision that reeked of boxing style corruption. His opponent Sean O’Malley is seen as a future UFC star and money-making machine of the Conor McGregor ilk, and it is not inconceivable that he received special favours on the scorecards.

Yan was disgusted with a decision that reeked of boxing style corruption.

One can imagine a UFC official whispering to a ringside judge, “If it’s close, go with the pink-haired kid.” And that’s what happened.

O’Malley has now watched the fight replay and declared that he “def won”, which is why fighters are not allowed to judge their own bouts and can make very poor critics.

There’s not a credible MMA pundit who agrees with that assessment, but self-doubt can cripple an athlete, so of course O’Malley is inclined to say that.

The decision is the second successive bout that Yan has felt robbed by the judges. The first occasion was his rematch against Aljamain Sterling for the bantamweight strap, but that fight was a lot closer than the O’Malley debacle.

If Yan does part ways with the company, he will be a hot item on the free market. Fighters of his calibre are very rarely floating around on free agency.

We can expect O’Malley to sharpen his game before his next bout and he may one day win UFC gold. He has loads of talent and we were wary of his range and knock out power prior to UFC 280.

He may look back on the Yan fight as the biggest break in his career, a day when two judges were swayed by some invisible force, because anyone who closely watched that fight could not conclude that O’Malley won two rounds. He lost all three in a brave but outclassed performance.

The coming months will tell us what the ramifications of this poorly judged fight may be.

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