Sean O’Malley is navigating unfamiliar waters as he works to rebound from his rivalry with Merab Dvalishvili.
The former UFC bantamweight champion seeks a much-needed win in his Jan. 24 return at UFC 324 in Las Vegas after suffering consecutive title-fight losses to Dvalishvili in 2024-25. Standing across from him will be China’s Song Yadong, a dangerous striker who O’Malley believes presents a far tougher challenge than the opponent he originally had in mind.
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“I asked for Aiemann [Zahabi]. Just give me something a little easier,” O’Malley said tongue-in-cheekly on Tuesday’s “The Ariel Helwani Show.” “But Song Yadong, I guess I’ll fight Song.
“It was supposed to be a funny little joke — Aiemann is, I think, an excellent fighter. If I looked at him and Song — no one’s easy. But I did ask for Aiemann, that one seems a little easier. Always took Uncle Chael [Sonnen’s] philosophy in fighting the easiest guy for the most amount of money. We’re making the same amount of money fighting any of these guys — [so] who, in my opinion, would be the easiest?”
O’Malley hoped to return sooner after his June loss in the Dvalishvili rematch, but he believes the UFC held off in order to feature him on its first Paramount event. UFC 324 marks the launch of the new partnership between the two companies following a seven-year $7.7 billion broadcast deal in August.
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Regardless, O’Malley is more than comfortable with the matchup he ended up with.
“I do like the Song matchup,” he said. “He’s explosive, fast, good fight camp, he’s got a lot of experience, he’s young, he’s hungry. It’s going to be a great win. It’s a big fight, so I’m happy with where we’re at.”
O’Malley, 31, rose rapidly to superstardom after joining the UFC in 2017. His ascent to the promotion’s bantamweight championship was equally swift. After winning the title against Aljamain Sterling in August 2023, he then defended the belt once against Marlon “Chito” Vera before running into Dvalishvili.
Despite his consecutive losses to “The Machine” — and steadfast belief that he deserved the nod in their first fight — O’Malley remains focused on reclaiming gold. He’ll be watching closely as Dvalishvili defends his belt in another rematch against Petr Yan at UFC 323 on Saturday.
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That doesn’t mean O’Malley isn’t loving his impending return to three-round bouts.
“Winning the belt again sounds fun, sounds exciting,” O’Malley said. “Merab’s obviously there at the top. We’re 1-1, so a trilogy makes sense. Petr goes out there and wins, the rematch [between me and] Petr is a big fight. I want big fights. If the title is on the line, that just adds more to it.
“But three rounds — I could be a three-round champ. Maybe if Merab wins, he’s the five-round champ, I’m the three-round champ. That sounds sick to me. I might just do that.”
Along the way, O’Malley has continued to tease interest in a move to boxing. It’s never been a top priority, but the idea still lingers as UFC and TKO expand their presence in the sport.
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Gervonta Davis was the primary name O’Malley often mentioned when envisioning a crossover, and he isn’t opposed if the opportunity ever becomes real — though he’s not betting on it given Davis’ latest legal issues.
“I’m always like, ‘Hey, if you guys want to throw me in there.’ They don’t seem too interested in bringing in UFC guys to do the Zuffa [Boxing] stuff, at least from my conversations. But you never know,” O’Malley said.
“I go out there, beat Song, knock Song out, look good, boxing looking good, Gervonta gets out of jail and says something funny — things could build up.
“As of now, I don’t know if it’s of enough interest.”
