It’s no secret that MMA superstar Sean O’Malley wants a rematch with UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan in the near future.
O’Malley has defeated Song Yadong and Aiemann Zahabi so far this year, and he believes that’s earned him the right to fight for the bantamweight title again, which Yan currently holds.
However, Yan is expected to fight former champ Merab Dvalishvili next in a trilogy bout, leaving O’Malley waiting for the winner.
He’s hoping it’s Yan that wins, since he thinks it will be the biggest fight ever in UFC bantamweight history.
Sean O’Malley Stumps for Petr Yan Rematch
Speaking on the “Pound 4 Pound” podcast, O’Malley explained why the UFC is making a mistake by going with Yan vs. Dvalishvili 3 first instead of a rematch between him and Yan.
“I’ve been hearing Petr and Merab are going to fight for a long time – still nothing booked. I don’t know if it’s Merab’s nose or Petr’s back. It sucks. One of those guys is obviously holding it up, and I don’t think it’s Merab. I think Merab would fight with his arm cut off. So I think Petr is probably just dealing with some injuries. He’s the champ, and if he’s going to come back (against) Merab – I fought Merab knowing I was getting surgery after with a torn labrum. Still, it was a close fight, and then I get the surgery and fight Merab again seven months later, just wanting to be back, just wanting the belt back,” O’Malley said (via MMAjunkie.com).
“You can’t fight Merab on half-assed camps. You need a full, full camp. You need to be fully healthy to fight Merab, and Petr probably knows that. So he’s taking his time, as he should. He is the champ. You don’t want to go out there and lose the belt because you did something you shouldn’t do, so I get it. But also, if they want me vs. Petr next, I do think me vs. Petr Yan 2, rematch, is the biggest fight in bantamweight history. I think it’s the biggest one you could possibly make right now, and the UFC would be risking (it) making Merab vs. Petr.”
Sean O’Malley Has a Previous Win over Petr Yan
O’Malley, of course, previously defeated Yan at UFC 280 in October 2022 in a controversial split decision win that many to this day believe he lost.
As for Dvalishvili, O’Malley has lost twice to the former champ, once by decision and once by submission, so, naturally, he would much rather face Yan, whom he already had success against and who would be a more fan-friendly matchup since he’s a fellow striker.
Though O’Malley made a good point about Dvalishvili possibly beating Yan in their trilogy and then burning a potential O’Malley vs. Yan 2 fight if the champ loses, ultimately, the UFC matchmakers believe that Dvalishvili should get the next title shot, partly as a thank you to the Georgian for fighting so often and saving the UFC’s bacon when they needed main event fights.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Sean O’Malley on Petr Yan Rematch: Biggest Fight Ever at 135 lbs appeared first on HEAVY.