UFC Eyes Petr Yan vs. Song Yadong, but Sean O’Malley Makes It Clear He Deserves the Title Shot
Petr Yan has settled his score with Merab Dvalishvili, but there's already another fight brewing in the bantamweight division. The Russian held firm at UFC 333, defeating the Georgian by unanimous decision to retain his championship.
So, who's next in line? Song Yadong and Sean O'Malley are both making their cases, but 'Suga' has a rather different opinion. As far as he's concerned, nobody else deserves the shot.
Sean O’Malley makes it clear that next is him
Speaking to Daniel Cormier, the former champion made one thing abundantly clear: he isn't willing to let anyone jump ahead of him in the title race, and that includes Song Yadong.
“I don't think it's really—I don't really feel like I have to push for it or argue for it or, you know, try to do anything crazy for it. Me versus Peter's happening next. It's a—it just is, and I refuse to believe otherwise,” said O’Malley.
Sean O'Malley is not convinced that Song Yadong deserves the next bantamweight title shot, despite the UFC seemingly considering a potential clash between the Chinese contender and Petr Yan. During fight night in Abu Dhabi, the promotion turned its attention towards Yadong, who was in attendance following his stunning knockout victory over Umar Nurmagomedov.
O’Malley, meanwhile, seemed to have slipped out of the title picture. Even Yan, who has already beaten Yadong, backed the idea of a rematch, suggesting that the Chinese fighter has improved enough to make a second meeting worthwhile.
"From what I see, Song Yadong is way more well-rounded now," he said before adding, "I will repeat myself, though. I do not choose my opponents. Whoever the company gives me, that's who I fight."
O’Malley has a strong case to make, having previously defeated Yan in 2022 in what was one of the most memorable fights of the year. That victory over the reigning champion gives ‘Suga’ another reason to believe he deserves the next title opportunity.
He also believes a rematch with Yan for the bantamweight crown could shatter UFC records, potentially making it the biggest fight in the division’s history.
"Hands down it will be ," O'Malley said. "I don't think of Petr Yan as a superstar. He's not going to walk down the street and get mobbed. In the MMA community, he's one of the most respected fighters, and I think the promotion will really get to the wider audience. We're not going to be the co-main event. We're going to be the main event. It's going to be a massive card.”
Sean O’Malley may have had his hand raised against Petr Yan, but the result was far from universally accepted. ‘Suga’ secured a split-decision victory over the Russian, but the real controversy centred on the opening round. Two judges scored it in O’Malley’s favour, while the third gave it to Yan, sparking widespread debate among fans and MMA analysts. To make matters more interesting, this came at a time when Dana White was seemingly pushing O’Malley as the UFC’s next big superstar.
The stat book suggests that the Russian had the upper hand in several grappling exchanges while also landing more significant strikes. Many MMA analysts felt Yan had done enough to win, with some even labelling the decision a robbery. Interestingly, all 26 media scorecards tracked by MMA Fighting favoured Yan, further fuelling the controversy surrounding the result.
That alone provides a compelling storyline for a potential rematch, and with the bantamweight title at stake, the stakes would be even higher.
Whether Dana White decides to make the fight happen remains to be seen, but there is little doubt that this is a matchup the fans would love to see.
