Sean O’Malley Praises Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili After UFC 333: ‘I Was Honored to Watch That Fight’

Sean O’Malley  commented ‘I Was Honored to Watch That Fight. O’Malley says fans were lucky to see two of the best bantamweights fight for the title and a place among the division’s all-time greats.

The former  champion thinks both men should be considered among the best bantamweights in all of MMA. O’Malley discussed the fight on Ariel Helwani’s podcast and said it was about more than just winning the belt. He regarded it as a battle between two warriors going to war to prove they belong in the history books of the division. 

O’Malley Has High Praise for Yan

"We're super lucky to be able to watch two guys fighting for that title,"  Sean O'Malley said. "Not just the bantamweight title, but the greatest of all-time title. When it comes to pure skill for skill, Petr Yan's up there. He's that guy. But when it comes to fighting and mixing it up and finding ways to win, Merab's up there as well. I was honored to watch that fight.”

O'Malley also said that it was not only a bantamweight title fight but for the "GOAT" title. Yan beat Dvalishvili by unanimous decision on Oct. 24 to become the bantamweight champion. O’Malley was especially impressed by Yan’s technical skills. He has fought the Russian himself so he knows how good Yan can be inside the Octagon. 

 "With pure skill for skill, Petr Yan is up there. “He’s that guy,” O’Malley said. Yan displayed his skills in five rounds against Dvalishvili, enduring the Georgian’s pressure and doing enough to win the decision of the judges. O’Malley has a history of his own with Yan. He beat him by split decision at UFC 280 in 2022, a decision that is still talked about by fans. Since then, O’Malley has made it known he wants a rematch with Yan. 

Merab Gets His Share of Respect

Merab has earned respect though Yan may have won the fight, but O’Malley was not overlooking what Dvalishvili has done. But in terms of fighting and mixing it up and finding ways to win,"Merab's up there too," he said.

Dvalishvili’s constant pressure and grappling made him one of the most difficult fighters in the division. He no longer has the title but he’s earned a lot of respect for his time at the top. “I was honored to watch that fight,” O’Malley said simply, offering his thoughts on seeing the two rivals take on each other. The question now is who gets the first shot at Yan’s title, who is now back atop the division. O’Malley wants the rematch, but the UFC has not yet announced Yan’s next opponent.