Sean O’Malley had a different opponent in mind for his next fight. Instead of facing Aiemann Zahabi at the upcoming UFC White House card on June 14, O’Malley believed a rematch with Petr Yan was the fight to make. The timing made sense. Yan had regained the bantamweight title, and O’Malley already owned a previous win over him from UFC 280.
O’Malley says the fight never materialized due to a lack of interest on the other side.
“I was supposed to fight Petr Yan, the champ, the little Russian, but I beat him last time so he didn’t want to fight this time,” O’Malley told FOX 11 Los Angeles. “That would have been a big fight.”
Shift to Zahabi matchup
With Yan not booked, O’Malley now turns his attention to Zahabi. The Canadian enters the fight riding a seven-fight win streak, presenting a different kind of challenge.
“I’m fighting a guy named Aiemann Zahabi, he’s on a seven-fight win streak,” O’Malley said. “He’s from Canada, a Canadian fella, so it’s kind of America vs. Canada-ish if you’re looking at it that way, which is kind of exciting.”
O’Malley expects a striking-heavy contest when they meet.
“Very tough, very durable, very experienced. Very tough fight.” “An exciting challenge, he’s going to be more of a kickboxer style so it’s going to be a very exciting, electric kickboxing fight with little gloves on.”
Representing the USA on the Big Stage
Fighting at the White House gives O’Malley a setting that leans in his favor. His recent schedule has featured international opponents, but this matchup brings a different angle with Zahabi representing Canada.
“I’m not a very political person, I would say pretty much not at all,” O’Malley said in a separate interview with Against The Cage. “For me, it doesn’t matter who I’m fighting, but it is America vs. Canada, there’s a little bit of that to it.”
He kept the focus on competition rather than narrative.
“This is just man vs. man.” “We’re going to get locked in the doors and see who quits, see who breaks, see who gets knocked out first, that’s what it is every fight for me.”
Is this the real reason the fight got cancelled?
Could it be that Dana just didn’t want to see an American beat by a Russian at UFC Freedom? Let us know in the comments…