“I’ve Got Everything He Wants”: Sean O’Malley Takes a Cheeky Shot at Petr Yan
The former bantamweight champion is making his case for a rematch with the current champion, Petr Yan, using humor.
Sean O’Malley has been trolling Petr Yan and calling him out on social media following the latter’s second title defence against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 333.
Currently riding a two-fight winning streak, the former bantamweight champion believes he has done enough to earn another title shot. Making the rivalry personal, O’Malley has taken another shot at Yan.
Sean O’Malley Calls Out Petr Yan
After suffering his first defeat against Merab Dvalishvili in 2023, Petr Yan bounced back with two consecutive wins over the Georgian.
As a result, a fourth fight between them seems unlikely for now. Meanwhile, No. 2-ranked contender Song Yadong is also in the mix for a potential title shot. However, Sean O’Malley believes he is the perfect matchup for Yan because he has something the champion doesn’t.
“My message to Petr? I mean, I’ve got everything he wants: hair, six foot, beat Aljo. He’s got one thing I want, his belt, and I’ve got everything he wants. So it’s going to be an epic fight,” O’Malley said in an interview with Daniel Cormier.
Yan and O’Malley previously faced each other in 2022, when ‘Suga’ secured a controversial split-decision victory.
‘Suga’ Says Yan vs. O’Malley is ‘Massive’
Yan has said he will face whoever the UFC offers next following his title defence in Abu Dhabi. As a result, a debate over his next opponent has erupted in the MMA community.
While Song Yadong and Sean O’Malley appear to be the frontrunners, ‘Suga’ believes a rematch with Yan would be a massive attraction.
On his YouTube channel, O’Malley praised Yadong’s resume but argued that he would be the bigger matchup for the title.
"Song's dangerous. Song's good as f---. He's well-deserving of a title shot after... He doesn't have to go out and fight Merab again. He could wait and fight winner me, Petr... Everyone knows this is an entertainment game. Me versus Petr will be massive," O’Malley said.
Yadong has lost to both O’Malley and Yan, but his recent UFC run has been impressive. However, O’Malley has also established himself as one of the division’s biggest stars. Given his drawing power, the UFC could favour a rematch between him and Yan.
