O'Malley insists Petr Yan rematch is inevitable after UFC 333 title win

Sean O’Malley is convinced he will be the first challenger for Petr Yan’s newly won UFC bantamweight title, dismissing any suggestion that Song Yadong — who was ringside at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi — could jump the queue. Yan claimed the belt with a dominant performance over Merab Dvalishvili at the weekend, and O’Malley wasted no time staking his claim.

“I don’t really think it’s a debate or an argument,” O’Malley told Daniel Cormier on his podcast. “Me versus Petr is happening next. It just is. I refuse to believe otherwise.”

O’Malley’s confidence rests on a clear chain of results. He beat Yan in 2022 in one of the most celebrated bantamweight bouts in recent memory. He then defended his title against Song Yadong earlier this year and added a knockout win over Aimann Zahabi at the UFC White House card. Yan, for his part, already holds a win over Song from the period when O’Malley was champion — a fact O’Malley used to argue Song has no logical claim ahead of him.

“Petr beat Song when I was defending my title in Miami, so Petr already beat Song, I already beat Song,” he said. “Song was in the building; they’re in your ear, it makes sense. I’m not there. Song’s there. I don’t really feel like I have to push for it or argue for it.”

Beyond the sporting logic, O’Malley believes a rematch with Yan would be the biggest bantamweight fight in UFC history, surpassing even his own record. He cited his bout with Marlon Chito Vera as the current benchmark for the division commercially, but argued a Yan rematch in a main-event slot would eclipse it.

“Hands down it will be the biggest bantamweight fight of all time,” O’Malley said. “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. I think me versus Chito, number-wise, was the biggest bantamweight fight of all-time as of now, but I do think me versus Petr is going to be bigger.”

He acknowledged that Yan is not a mainstream celebrity outside MMA circles, but argued that dynamic actually works in the fight’s favour by giving the UFC a promotional angle to reach a broader audience.

The UFC has not yet announced Yan’s next opponent. O’Malley, however, appears to be operating as though the decision has already been made.