O'Malley names Petr Yan's left hand as the hardest shot of his career

Sean O’Malley has singled out a single left hand from Petr Yan as the hardest strike of his fighting career, recalling the moment during a recent appearance on the Friends Keep Secrets podcast ahead of his UFC Freedom 250 bout against Aiemann Zahabi on June 14.

The exchange came in Round 2 of their meeting at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi in October 2022. O’Malley had just dropped Yan with a right hand and was pressing forward looking for the finish when Yan countered with a straight left that snapped O’Malley’s head sharply to the side.

“Petr Yan, the guy that’s the champ right now,” O’Malley said. “When I fought him in Abu Dhabi, second round, I came out, cracked him hard, rocked him, hit him with a right hand, dropped him. Fast forward 45 seconds, we’re both standing there, and he hits me with a left hand, you see my head completely turn all the way around. That was probably the hardest I’ve been hit.”

Despite the knockdown scare, O’Malley (19-3) survived and went on to win via split decision in a result that drew some controversy at the time. The victory earned him an immediate title shot against Aljamain Sterling, whom he stopped by knockout to claim the UFC bantamweight championship.

O’Malley defended the belt once before dropping it to Merab Dvalishvili, and a rematch failed to produce a different outcome. He has since rebuilt with a unanimous decision win over Song Yadong in January 2025.

Now 31, O’Malley returns to action at the UFC White House card on June 14, where he faces Zahabi (14-2) in what will be his first fight since the Dvalishvili rematch. Yan, meanwhile, currently holds the bantamweight title that O’Malley once wore.