LAS VEGAS – Sean O’Malley wants next.
Following a win over Song Yadong at Saturday’s UFC 324, the former UFC bantamweight champion shot his shot and called for a title bout against champion Petr Yan. O’Malley (19-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC), who defeated Yadong (22-9-1 MMA, 11-4-1 UFC) with a unanimous decision in the co-main event at T-Mobile Arena, thinks Merab Dvalishvili deserves the next title shot, but that didn’t stop him from still throwing his hat in the ring.
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“Petr Yan has something that I want,” O’Malley said in his post-fight interview in the octagon. “All respect to Merab. If he gets the next shot, it’s well deserved. But Petr Yan, you want that rematch, I want that belt. Let’s make it happen. Go out there and take care of Merab if that’s what’s next, if not, let’s run it, baby.”
Dvalishvili lost his title to Yan in December in a Fight of the Night performance after having defended his belt three times in 2025. Many believe his body of work as a champion merits an immediate rematch. On the other hand, O’Malley snapped a two fight losing streak to Dvalishvili with Saturday’s win. He does however hold a 2022 decision win over Yan, making him an attractive option for the champion.
Should Dvalishvili get the next shot over O’Malley, “Suga” is more than willing to sit out and wait for the winner.
“I’m chilling,” O’Malley said at the UFC 324 post-fight press conference. “If they make that fight, I’m chilling.”
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It’s uncertain who will get the next shot, but if it ends up coming O’Malley’s way, he knows he’ll have to bring his A game to the octagon.
“Yeah, he looked really good,” O’Malley said “I’m going to have to show up ready to go five rounds, focused, improve outside of camp. Petr Yan is the champ for a reason. He’s one of my favorite fighters to watch. I would love to compete against him again. But yeah, I’d have to have a really good camp, show up and put on an OG ‘Suga’ performance.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Sean O’Malley calls for Petr Yan rematch: ‘I want that belt’
