UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards is skeptical of Sean O’Malley’s chances if he jumps the line and earns himself a bantamweight title shot.
The No.11-ranked ‘Sugar’ faces his biggest step-up in competition yet at UFC 280 when he enters the octagon against Petr Yan.
‘No Mercy’ is a former champion of the division, narrowly losing out on reclaiming his title in a split-decision loss to Aljamain Sterling earlier this year.
While many consider the fight against Yan perhaps too early in Sean O’Malley’s career, Edwards believes the 27-year-old has the skillset to not only defeat the Russian fighter but also challenge for the title.
‘Rocky’, however, feels that MMA is an unforgiving sport and there isn’t always success for young guns jumping the line:
“I feel if he can go out there and get the job done, then you deserve to be there, but there’s not much success stories when people jump the line that fast. I think he has the skillset to go out there and do well you know. I’m looking forward to the fight… It’s the inches that make the big difference… From watching Sean O’Malley’s tapes, he’s got that right now and I’m excited to see him test himself.”
Catch Leon Edwards’ comments at the 22:00-minute mark: