UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan said that he is open to a rematch with Sean O’Malley should he be victorious at UFC 333.
O’Malley beat Yan at UFC 280 in October 2022 via split decision in a fight that many thought that Yan won. O’Malley would later use that win over Yan to catapult himself into a title shot against former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling, whom he beat by KO at UFC 292 in August 2023 to claim the belt.
Four years later, Yan is now the bantamweight champion, while O’Malley is chasing him for the title. So, could a rematch be in store? It’s possible, says Yan.
Petr Yan Willing to Rematch Sean O’Malley
Speaking to MMAFighting.com, Yan said that he’s open to fighting O’Malley again.
“Why not? For real, we have history, so why wouldn’t that be the fight?” Yan said.
“It’s just that he’s obviously winning. He’s doing a great job. He’s moving forward, and he’s definitely proved that he is the next one, or one of the next ones who should be good to fight for the title, but it’s not that I’m watching it, and I’m impressed by it, just he’s on the right trajectory.”
Sean O’Malley Could Be Next in Line for Title Shot
Depending on the outcome of the UFC 333 main event this Saturday between Yan and Merab Dvalishvili, O’Malley could be next in line to fight for the bantamweight belt.
O’Malley needs Yan to win the fight because, if he does, then a rematch between the two long-time rivals becomes very easy to make. But if Dvalishvili wins, it’s going to be much harder for O’Malley to get the title fight, because he’s already lost twice to him, making that title shot seem very difficult to get in a trilogy bout.
If Dvalishvili beats Yan at UFC 333, look for Song Yadong — whom O’Malley beat earlier this year at UFC 324 in January — to get the title shot instead. Therefore, O’Malley will be rooting for Yan to win, because that would almost guarantee that a rematch between these two would happen sometime in 2027 for the UFC bantamweight title.
Petr Yan Open to Sean O’Malley Rematch After UFC 333