Sean O'Malley Plants His Flag for Petr Yan Rematch After UFC 333

Sean O'Malley did not wait for the UFC to make its phone calls. As soon as Petr Yan finished a five-round decision win over Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 333, O'Malley started campaigning for a bantamweight title rematch.

His message was blunt: "I'm fighting Petr Yan next."

That is O'Malley's claim, not a booking. UFC CEO Dana White said after the event that matchmakers were discussing both O'Malley and Song Yadong as possible challengers for Yan. No date, location or opponent has been announced for the champion's next defense.

O'Malley refuses to wait his turn

O'Malley watched Yan rally past Dvalishvili during a live reaction on his YouTube channel. The former champion praised both men, called Yan the greatest bantamweight ever and then made his own intentions impossible to miss.

"Even if they announce Petr versus Song, I'm still fighting Petr next," O'Malley said. "It's got to be me versus Petr."

He proposed a U.S. event in late March or early in the second quarter of 2027. Again, that is the timeline O'Malley wants. The UFC has not attached the matchup to a card.

O'Malley also took a small jab at Yan for not naming him after the fight. He stopped short of saying Yan was scared, but argued that the champion would not choose him if given a free hand. O'Malley's reasoning was technical as much as promotional: at 5-foot-11 with a 72-inch reach, he presents a different frame and rhythm than the shorter pressure fighters Yan has recently faced.

His case is difficult to ignore

O'Malley owns the cleanest talking point in the title race. He has already beaten both names under discussion.

He took a split decision over Yan at UFC 280 in October 2022, a result that remains one of the most debated verdicts of either man's career. Two judges gave O'Malley the fight despite Yan landing takedowns and controlling long stretches of the grappling. O'Malley's sharper damage on the feet carried enough weight with the judges to produce the upset.

This year, O'Malley beat Song by unanimous decision at UFC 324 and knocked out Aiemann Zahabi in the second round at UFC Freedom 250. That two-fight run repaired his position after consecutive losses to Dvalishvili and gave him a simple pitch: he beat Song, he beat Yan, and he is ready to face the champion again.

It is a strong case. It is not an automatic one. The UFC often weighs timing, availability and the business value of a matchup alongside rankings and recent results. Song's presence cageside at UFC 333 was no accident, and Daniel Cormier brought up his name during Yan's post-fight interview.

The UFC has not picked a challenger

White confirmed the choice is still open. He said he and the matchmakers spent the night discussing O'Malley and Song, calling both men "great options" and the decision "a good problem to have."

Yan has not shut the door on O'Malley. Before UFC 333, he told MMA Fighting that a second meeting made sense because "we have history," while adding that he would accept whichever opponent the UFC chose. His answer was measured rather than evasive. After another hard 25 minutes with Dvalishvili, there was little reason for him to commit to a challenger before the promotion did.

That leaves three separate positions. O'Malley says the rematch is inevitable. White says the UFC is choosing between two contenders. Yan says the opponent is the promotion's call. Only the second and third positions describe the current official situation.

A rematch would not resemble the first fight

Their first meeting lasted three rounds. A championship rematch would be scheduled for five, and both fighters have changed since 2022.

O'Malley has been a UFC champion, lost the belt, absorbed two grappling-heavy defeats and worked his way back with wins over Song and Zahabi. His long-range striking remains the obvious problem for Yan, but his recent fights have demanded more patience and better defensive decisions than the version who entered UFC 280 as the No. 11 contender.

Yan has become even more comfortable solving fights as they stretch into the later rounds. UFC 333 was the latest example. Dvalishvili started fast, but Yan stayed composed, defended the takedowns with increasing confidence and took over enough of the second half to win. O'Malley called the performance "legendary" for a reason.

The unresolved score from 2022 gives the matchup its edge. O'Malley has the official win. Yan has spent four years hearing that many viewers scored it the other way. Now Yan holds the belt, and O'Malley is the one asking for another chance.

O'Malley has done the smart part already. He turned the morning after UFC 333 into an argument about why he should be next. The contract is the part he cannot talk into existence. Until the UFC makes an announcement, Yan-O'Malley 2 remains the loudest option in a two-man race, not a booked title fight.